Incentive of Curiosity
by AngrySnapDragon
Summary: Journalist Isaac Portman is infamous for the things that he can dig up. Anything the men in black dont want you to know about, he'll track it down and expose it. However, tracking down the God of Mischief himself? That's a bit of a tall order. So of course he's going to do it. Rated T for who knows what and Romance for that same reason.
1. Chapter 1

_**Why hello again. See this is the first fanfic in a very**_ **VERY** ** _long time. And it is also 2am. SO. I kinda had writers block for my actual book and this little idea just popped into my head so I figured; why not give it a go?_**

 ** _Enjoy my...er... well. Babble._**

"Dude. You. Will. Die. Do you hear me? They are going to kill you."

The severity of the words was betrayed by the laughter that followed.

"Oh God. Heh- seriously, Fury will find and gut you one of these days."

"Only if he can catch me." He chuckled lighting a cigarette as he leaned against the brick behind him.

"You realize that you are up against S.H.I.E.L.D. right? Like. The government. And spies. And all their techy bull shit."

"Have been for years now. Nothing new." He adjusted his coat against the bite of autumn.

"…Isaac. Really, you okay?"

"M'fine. What's wrong with you getting all emotional. Are you trying to tell me you care?"

"Hell no. I just don't want to lose my best journalist. You have any idea how much your column makes me? Let me give you a hint: it's enough that it's worth my fending of those freaky-deaky men in black all hours of the damn day to keep 'em off of you."

"Heh, thanks."

"No problem. Hey, lemme know when you have something new. Actually…."

Isaac felt his eyes narrow. "What do you want."

"I have a request." The words were spoken in a rush as though he was trying to get them out before Isaac inevitably hung up.

"What do you want."

"See… here's the thing."

Isaac groaned. "Skip the sales pitch."

"Loki."

There was silence. A deafening, final, silence.

"Excuse me?"

"You heard me. I want something on the illusive God of Mischief himself."

"What, the guy who pulled the disappearing act of the century?"

"What's this? Is the great, Isaac Portman, dirt digger extraordinaire, unable to track the untraceable?"

"As you like to put it S.H.I.E.L.D. and their 'freaky-deaky' men in black can't find him, the God damned Avengers can't find him. What the hell do you think I'm going to be able to do?"

"I don't know, man, do your thing, pull off the impossible? I'm not demanding anything but I'm _begging_ you here just get _something_. Anything. Hell, hack the Avenger's database for info the public doesn't already know."

"Hah. Fat chance. That damn AI is the bane of my existence."

"Just try?"

"If this is what gets me killed, I will haunt you." He could almost hear the victorious grin on the other end of the line.

"I'll totally send some flowers to your funeral. Assuming, of course, that they leave a body…"

"That's reassuring. Do you have any clues for me?"

"Of course, I do. I wouldn't be asking a favor if I couldn't at least point you in the general direction. Rumor has it that the guy is still in the city."

"That's not very helpful."

"How about the bar, Untitled?"

"Untitled? Yeah I've heard of it."

"What if I told you that there's a hint, just a hint, that someone in there knows something."

"So, bullshit."

"Eh. Who knows, good enough place to start. Besides, I think you'll like it. Ah shit, gotta go. Good luck."

Isaac didn't return the farewell, simply hanging up the throw away cell. He pocketed the device and sighed, looking up at the ever-grey sky that loomed above the buildings.

"Loki, huh?" he couldn't help the grin that spread over his face. "Sounds interesting."

 _ **So? Good enough plot hook? No? Well it's enough I may actually keep up with this one so expect that there shall be more to come! Let me know if its worth it.**_


	2. Chapter 2

**_Well hey, here I am again. Apologies as per usual for the cruddy delivery and well, I know this one is a bit slow to pick up but hey it's getting there._**

 ** _Enjoy!_**

Isaac slithered into a bar seat, nimbly dodging the light crowd. The bar was a small one with sharp, modern furnishings. The people ranged from young adults, (and he suspected a few teens had managed to sneak into the place) to those in their 60s. An odd mix that he didn't particularly mind as he settled.

"A new face? How rare." A voice purred, drawing his attention to the bartender as the man smirked at him.

Isaac gave him a careful nod, already taking a brief profile of the man. He was tall, with shorter black hair and… brilliant green eyes. How rare indeed. A chill rose along his spine and he could feel his heart pick up its pace in excitement.

What were the chances…?

A chuckle made him jump, realizing that he'd been staring. "Sorry, I wasn't expecting the bartender to be so distinctive." He leaned confidently on the counter, his arms folded in an easy manner.

The guy's eyebrows arched gracefully in pleased surprise. "Well, well, not often I get that response when I catch someone oogling." Another dark chuckle. "What would you like?"

"I'll take a beer. Bottle preferably."

"ID if you please?"

Isaac felt the frown settle across his face before he could smother the reaction. He fished for his wallet, eyeing a clearly underaged girl giggling over a glass of wine. He slid one of the many IDs out of its slot and flashed it at him.

He only waited patiently a hand extended.

With a sigh, he handed over the card and watched as the man examined it. It was a well-made fake. Not that he wasn't old enough, he just needed a card without his real address on it.

"What should I call you?" he asked casually, hoping to interrupt the intensive examination of the ID.

"Hmm. I suppose you could call me Lawrence."

"Lawrence?"

The man handed back the ID. "Is that so odd?"

"No. Just unexpected."

An elegant and effortless shrug as he turned to one of the coolers beneath the counter and pulled out a bottle, prying off the cap before setting it in front of him. "Enjoy."

Isaac watched him wander to the other end of the bar. Interesting. He raised the bottle to his lips, tilted it back but didn't drink. He wasn't fond of having his mind muddled.

He cast his eye over the gathered crowd, everyone was moving in the distinct pattern of mingling the noise of conversation and music fading into white noise. He wondered where that hint had come from. It wasn't like Matt to send him out like this. Actually, it was rare for the guy to ask anything of him.

There was a rustle of movement that didn't quite fit the pattern that he'd adjusted to. He turned his head and damn near fell out of his chair, catching the tail end of a distinctive green and black outfit as someone weaved through the gathered crowd.

Isaac glanced towards Lawrence, finding the bartender still chatting idly with an older woman. No one seemed to notice that the worlds most wanted mad man was strolling through the bar…

He took a deep breath and forced his eyes back to the bar, catching the reflection of the 'God' as he paused and looked back. Back towards him. He stayed still.

Because if no one else could see him, then that meant that he wanted _him_ to see. And Isaac didn't want anything to do with whatever that meant. He was going to skin Matt for this. Somehow Loke knew he was there and was looking for him, that had to be it. Maybe he was going to try and get rid of him before he could report anything. Not that he would.

There was a tense moment before he looked back at the mirror that lined the back wall behind the bar. And he was met with a pair of brilliant green eyes, smirking at him. He felt like all of the air in his body tried to escape at once. Shit. Shit. Shitshitshitshit.

"You alright?"

A yelp stole from him as he jolted away from Lawrence as the bartender appeared before him. "Fu- yeah, yeah I'm fine. Uh, how much do I owe you?"

He rattled off a price and Isaac fumbled with his wallet for a second before shoving the cash into man's hand.

"You sure you're alright?"

"Yeah." He took a deeper breath and cast a wary look around. No creepy Gods in green. He wasn't sure if that was a good thing though. He almost preferred to be able to see him… at least he'd like to face his eminent death head on. "Hey, does this place have a restroom?"

"Sure. Head towards the back, it's on the right."

"Thanks."

He quickly made his way towards the direction indicated, noting how the crowd didn't pay him any mind. He slipped into the bathroom and looked around, glancing under the stalls to make sure no one was in there.

As soon as he was sure he whipped out the cell and dialed Matt's number.

"Yo, you're early. Can't tell me you have something already."

"Shut the hell up, Matt, who gave you that tip?"

"Whoa, whoa, whoa, hold up a sec. I-"

"No, you listen to me right now, I am not about to hand myself over on a silver platter. Tell me what you got me into. Right. Now." He glanced towards the door, content that no one was coming in. "Because I seemed to be expected."

"Expected?" Matt went quiet for a moment. "That-that can't be right, no way."

"Can't be right?" he demanded, his voice a harsh hiss in the quiet. "Swear to God if you set me up-"

"No! I didn't! I swear! I never said your name I promise!"

"Who did you tell? Who did you take this job from?"

"Well, see, I couldn't exactly say no…"

"Matt."

"Iron Man himself had a damn mech in my office you really think I could tell the guy no?"

"What?!" this was bad.

"Chill, I didn't tell him who you were. Didn't say a word. They figured the guy who could dig up dirt on them could probably dig up Loki too. They had an inkling that the guy was hanging around that bar or at least had a contact in there, so I sent you after it."

"And you didn't think to warn me?"

"It's not like they know who you are."

"So, what. Somehow the creep knows I'm looking for him and I am not dealing with this shit."

"You made contact?"

"That's not the point Matt!" his voice had risen to a panicked shout. "I dig, I get you a scoop, I take a few pics I send it in. I get paid. That's it. That's all I ever do. I did my fair share of dodging bullets. I'm. Done. I'm not doing it again."

There was silence and Isaac realized how hard his pulse was roaring in his ears, his breath coming in quick bursts.

"Isaac. Breathe. Seriously, I'm sorry. I couldn't think of anyone who could pull it off other than you. If you want out… no hard feelings."

He took a breath. Then another, sighing as he let his head fall back against the tiles. "You didn't give them anything."

"Nothing. They have no idea who you are. I just said I'd put my best on it. Who knows, maybe he just… knew you weren't there for a drink?"

Yeah. That had to be it. "Okay."

"You good?"

"No. I'll be fine though. Shit… I'll call you again when I have something. Maybe I can use this."

"What? You just flipped and now you're saying you'll do it?"

"I'm saying if I'm already on the radar then I don't have to look very far. Hell, wouldn't you like a few up close and personals?"

"I will pay you enough you can retire early."

"There's the motive." Isaac hung up before he could be reminded just how suicidal this was.

Adrenaline was pulsing though him. He felt like a damn junkie. It had been so, so long… his leg throbbed, a violent reminder of why he didn't take these jobs anymore. He hissed in pain, rubbing at the old scar as he exited the bathroom.

Calm, cool, collected. He was back on track. Now he just needed to identify who he needed to corner.

 ** _Hmmm so what do you think so far?_**

 ** _*grins* well stay tuned if you'd like, I'm already in the process of writing the next chapter. Thanks for reading!_**


	3. Chapter 3

_Sorry for the wait! I'm slowly getting back into the swing of writing fanfics again... Slowly being the key word there._

 _Anywho, enjoy! Review are much appreciated just so I have some idea as to the quality that I'm putting out... er lack thereof._

He watched the water swirl down the drain for a moment before twisting the tap and looking up at his face in the mirror. Quite dashing if he did say so himself. He snorted in amusement, grabbing a paper towel.

He was plain. Dirty blond hair, cut short and styled so it wasn't in his face, rectangular glasses that he didn't actually need… he supposed it was attractive enough to get what he wanted but nothing that would make him stick out.

Not that it was helping. He'd been frequenting the bar for the past week and yet there was no sign of Loki and he wasn't any closer to finding any sort of informant. His best bet was the bartender. And the guy wasn't making it easy. In fact, Isaac was downright positive that the man was having fun messing with him.

"Alright, I've a question for you." Lawrence leaned against the counter opposite him as he settled back into his seat.

"Shoot."

There was a flicker of a frown that skittered across the man's features for a moment. "Ah, you always buy a drink, but you never actually finish it. Why?"

Isaac thought for a moment. "Well, it just looks weird for a guy to be sitting at the bar with nothing in his hand."

"That still doesn't answer my question."

"Well if I didn't buy something you'd kick me out and then I wouldn't be able to talk to you." He grinned at the man and was pleased to see a spark of laughter in those startlingly bright eyes. He was starting to get used to them and while at first it had given him chills, his gut screaming that this was his target, he'd finally managed to relax in his presence.

After all, Loki himself walked past while Lawrence was directly in front of him. Besides, it's not like Loki could shapeshift… hopefully.

"You know, your attempts to flirt with me would fare better if you weren't so full of inquiries."

Isaac tilted his head to the side a small smile pulling at his lips. "Then you'd be bored with me."

The man gave him a narrow-eyed look "Clever." He tapped the counter absently as he turned to greet a new customer. He had very elegant hands, but Isaac had observed enough to know that there was strength in them.

He was honestly considering frequenting the bar for a completely different reason after the job was done. _Stupid._ He shook his head at the absurdity of that thought, chuckling as he returned to observing the crowd.

Loki almost couldn't help grinning to himself. The bar had been a stroke of luck, an old abandoned shop and a few illusions made the place of business almost bearable. Then people had started coming in, just a few. So, he added a few more layers to his magic. Creating people to fill the empty space so that he wouldn't be bothered.

The work involved was minimal since he rarely had to actually do anything. He only had to summon a few of the drinks that the mortals enjoyed and rattle off a price when they asked. Considering how few mortals actually came in, it left him with plenty of free time to do as he wished.

Until this irritating man showed up. He'd noticed a few more Midgardians than usual in the bar over the past month or so, several agents. It was becoming a risk to stay. Then suddenly they stopped showing up and in walked this man.

 _A trump card?_ He'd wondered, curious to see what the mortals had sent to try and trap him. They'd sent him a flirt. Well, that was his first impression. Yet, the man showed an impressive intuition, and a surprising amount of intelligence.

When presented with an illusion of himself walking through the bar, the man didn't follow. He'd panicked only when it was made obvious that 'Loki' was targeting him. Even then, he didn't leave. Instead, he seemed more determined to find something.

Loki didn't know what the mortal was expecting to find or even what he was looking for. At first, he thought that maybe this man was one of those with power but that didn't appear to be the case. If his intention was to trap him then he would have followed the illusion. If he was only there to scout, then there should have been agents knocking down the door.

He sighed. This persona was not meant to be permanent, but it would seem he'd be stuck with it for a while longer. Lawrence the barkeep. Not his most creative of disguises.

Isaac was the man's name. Isaac Portman. An interesting human. He'd flirt until Loki turned his back then he'd be observing with a shrewd gaze that would have worried him if it weren't for the runes that lined the walls, warding against such scrutiny.

He watched the man sigh and run a hand over his face, his eyes trailing to the mirror that lined the back wall.

Curious Loki caressed his mind, skimming through the surface thoughts.

 _Attractive._

 _Stupid. Don't bother._

 _Trouble. So screwed._

 _Can't stay here much longer._

 _Where is he?_

 _He has to be messing with me…_

 _I'm going to get killed one day._

 _Shield. Trouble._

 _Have to leave soon._

 _Shield._

 _They're going to find me._

Loki withdrew from the tangled thoughts. How amusing. And how worrisome. So, the man was being hunted by something. Interesting. Then it clicked. Not Shield. S.H.I.E.L.D.

They were annoying at the best of times. He sighed and tapped is fingers on the bar counter watching as a copy of himself roamed through the other illusions, approaching the man. Time to get rid of the nuisance. A shame, he was entertaining.


	4. Chapter 4

_**Well, this is probably going to be a bit confusing for some. It should flush out some of Isaac's character and motives though so bear with it. Hope you enjoy!**_

Isaac ran his thumb obsessively over the corner of the label of the bottle in his hand. He wasn't having much luck getting Lawrence to lower his guard enough to talk to him about suspicious customers. Then again, he was fairly certain that he qualified as one of those suspicious customers.

He glanced up as a lull in the conversation caught his attention.

His eyes widened, and his stool clattered to the ground in his rush to get on his feet, too late as a gloved hand grabbed at his face. Leather-clad fingers pressed against his forehead for a brief moment before Isaac felt his knees buckle, his legs suddenly weak and the taste of burning mint on his tongue.

He grabbed for the bar, but his grip slipped, depositing him on the ground. He pressed his back into the bar, his vision swimming as Loki leaned over him.

 _Bastard._ Isaac growled kicking at the Asgardian with whatever strength he had left.

A sharp exclamation that had to be some foreign curse escaped the man's mouth before those fingers once again pressed into his temples.

He blinked, cautiously casting his gaze around the space that he now found himself in.

"Most mortals would have run by now."

The low tenor had him whipping around to find Loki observing him with a smug smirk.

"What did you do." Isaac demanded.

"Nothing." Loki shrugged. "Just a whim. I was going to dispose of you but I'm curious as to your motives. So, I decided to take a look for myself."

"Excuse me?"

"Tell me. What sent you to that bar?"

Isaac frowned, recalling the phone call in question… he jumped as the grey space around him swirled and took form. He saw himself leaning against the brick wall of a building, surrounded by pedestrians, a phone pressed to his ear as he lit a cigarette.

 _"You realize that you are up against S.H.I.E.L.D. right? Like. The government. And spies. And all their techy bull shit."_

 _"Have been for years now. Nothing new." He adjusted his coat against the bite of autumn._

 _"…Isaac. Really, you okay?"_

 _"M'fine. What's wrong with you getting all emotional. Are you trying to tell me you care?"_

 _"Hell no. I just don't want to lose my best journalist. You have any idea how much your column makes me? Let me give you a hint: it's enough that it's worth my fending of those freaky-deaky men in black all hours of the damn day to keep 'em off of you."_

 _"Heh, thanks."_

Isaac stared in horror as his memory was played out before them. Loki looked on with avid curiosity.

"Oh? Who is the man you were talking to?"

The scene faded away and as hard as he tried to stop it from happening Matt appeared in front of him… and so did his own bruised and battered, several-years-younger form.

 _"Heh, so yer the kid that called in?" The overset man laughed and shook his head. "The hell could you possibly have that would interest me?"_

 _The teen, standing in that crowded, ink-scented office space with a black eye, a limp, and a hastily wrapped forearm held out a single flash drive._

 _"If you want those without the watermark your gonna have to pay."_

"And when was the last time you contacted him?"

This time he resisted. He had to. Lord only knew what would happen if this crazy prick knew that he'd been sent by-

He forced himself to derail his own train of thought as images flickered around them, snippets of thoughts.

"Careful" Loki chuckled, that infuriating smirk painted across his face. "we are in your mind, after all. Why don't we stick to the script?"

Isaac curled his hands into fists, nails biting into his palms.

"When was the last time you contacted him?"

Again, the images around them shifted.

 _"Yo, you're early. Can't tell me you have something already."_

 _"Shut the hell up, Matt, who gave you that tip?"_

 _"Whoa, whoa, whoa, hold up a sec. I-"_

 _"No, you listen to me right now, I am not about to hand myself over on a silver platter. Tell me what you got me into. Right. Now." He glanced towards the door, content that no one was coming in. "Because I seemed to be expected."_

 _"Expected?" Matt went quiet for a moment. "That-that can't be right, no way."_

 _"Can't be right?" he demanded, his voice a harsh hiss in the quiet. "Swear to God if you set me up-"_

 _"No! I didn't! I swear! I never said your name I promise!"_

 _"Who did you tell? Who did you take this job from?"_

 _"Well, see, I couldn't exactly say no…"_

 _"Matt_."

 **NO.** Isaac desperately attempted to make it stop but it only succeeded in warping the next few sentences.

 _"Chill, I didn't tell him who you were. Didn't say a word. They figured the guy who could dig up dirt on them could probably dig up Loki too. They had an inkling that the guy was hanging around that bar or at least had a contact in there, so I sent you after it."_

 _"And you didn't think to warn me?"_

 _"It's not like they know who you are."_

 _"So, what. Somehow the creep knows I'm looking for him and I am not dealing with this shit."_

 _"You made contact?"_

 _"That's not the point Matt!" his voice had risen to a panicked shout. "I dig, I get you a scoop, I take a few pics I send it in. I get paid. That's it. That's all I ever do. I did my fair share of dodging bullets. I'm. Done. I'm not doing it again."_

 _There was silence and Isaac realized how hard his pulse was roaring in his ears, his breath coming in quick bursts._

 _"Isaac. Breathe. Seriously, I'm sorry. I couldn't think of anyone who could pull it off other than you. If you want out… no hard feelings."_

Loki clicked his tongue in annoyance. "Tell me who sent you."

"You already know who sent me." Isaac gave the man a shit eating grin trying in vain to portray a confidence that he clearly didn't feel.

Loki gave him an irritated glare. "Fine. Let's take a small detour while you rethink your answer." The Asgardian's voice was a low growl and Isaac shivered wondering if he'd overstepped the limit of the man's patience.

"What was the last assignment you took that had you 'dodging bullets'?"

Isaac's eyes widened, and he spun as the memory was dredged to the front of his mind.

 _"Shoot him!" The angry shout echoed in his ears as gunfire rang far too close for comfort. If not for the rain he was sure he'd be dead._

 _Isaac ran for his life. Months of planning, tracking, and a lucky break he'd managed to oversee a meeting of rather important people. And take several pictures. Then an errant guard on a piss break had spotted him._

 _He yelped as a bullet grazed his arm and he dove forward, rolling, clawing at the muddy ground to change his direction so he skidded into cover behind a shipping container. His chest heaved, his panic smothered by the need to run. To escape. To survive._

 _He got up and sprinted forward trying to get to more cover, anything, anything he could use- a scream tore from his throat as a bullet sank into his leg sending him sprawling. He rolled in time to avoid several follow ups, but he couldn't run anymore._

 _So, he crawled. Clawing his way through the mud until a heavy boot dug into his back, halting his progress._

 _The chuckle of victory as a gun was leveled at his head. Then the man above him jerked and fell, a bullet lodged deep in his skull._

 _People were running, shooting, lights were flooding the area, aircraft hovering over the site as armored soldiers swarmed._

"Lucky, aren't you?" Loki watched the scene as though he were watching a movie rather than someone's memories.

Isaac didn't reply. He was furious.

"This would be easier if you would just answer me truthfully."

"Screw you."

"As you wish then, we'll do this the hard way."

"What do you want?!"

"I want a relief from the boredom that has taken hold of me. Which you are doing wonders for. Now, let's see…"

Isaac stared at the man as he mulled over some plot or another. He wondered briefly if he was capable of strangling him in this state.

"Why don't we backtrack for a moment. Why are you against S.H.I.E.L.D.?"

The images started to gather, and Isaac snapped. "Don't. Don't you dare."

"You can't stop me." It was such an easy, offhanded statement. A fact. "So, why are you against them?"

 _"Mama…?" Isaac peeked around the doorframe of his parent's office._

The images were foggy and fractured, bits and pieces that he remembered from his childhood home. The wooden floors, the neutral tones of the walls.

 _"Get out!" the screech was followed by a light shove and the door slamming shut the sound of a bolt sliding home._

 _Isaac sat in shock staring at the wooden door, his bloody knee forgotten._

"Stop it!" he screamed at the man.

"I'm not doing anything." That infuriating smirk, condescending and paternal. "How is that associated with S.H.I.E.L.D.?"

 _A salute of gunfire over a pair of caskets._

 _Men in uniform with peculiar badges that Isaac would always remember._

 _"Your parents were heroes who died protecting their country." Someone had said that while laying a hand on his shoulder. He didn't understand._

 _He didn't understand why. If they were heroes, then why were they never there? Why were they being taken away from him before he could prove that he was worth something to them?_

 _"Come along, son, there's a nice place with a lot of children just like you."_

Isaac flew at Loki without thinking, too desperate to make the memories stop flowing.

The Asgardian neatly side stepped, letting him stumble off balance for a moment. Then a kick to his back sent the air whooshing out of his lungs. He whirled around, refusing to fall and found himself face to face with the God.

"Are you ready to tell me who sent you?"

"Don't you know enough already!?" he threw caution to the wind. If the man wanted him dead he was dead anyways so what was the point in trying to please him?

"There is no such thing as too much knowledge."

"There is such a thing a privacy."

Loki snorted out a laugh. "Do you truly believe that I care about the frivolous notions of mortals? Your privacy is nothing more than a rather dull way of trying to keep your lies hidden from others."

"Says the God of Lies himself."

A dark look flickered through brilliant green eyes as the man's face became devoid of all expression.

"S.H.I.E.L.D. sent you to find me?"

"Why the hell should I answer to you?"

"You will either answer, or you will bow." It was a command that left no room for argument.

Isaac had never done well following orders. "I will never _bow_." The very thought was sickening.

A feral grin spread across the God's face as his fingers curled into the collar of Isaac's shirt. "Then kneel."

 ** _Well that escalated rather quickly... *grins* Lemme know what you think!_**


	5. Chapter 5

_**Sorry for the wait! Thanks for the Reviews! They are very motivating!**_

They were frozen for several long minutes.

Loki stood inches away only slightly taller than Isaac (which was infuriating) and Isaac glared at the man defiantly.

Loki's mouth opened as though he was about to say something, and Isaac jerked his head forward, stumbling as Loki let go of him in momentary shock. The Asgardian looked confused, shocked that he would dare to fight back. Blood seeped from his reddened nose and while the sight was deeply satisfying, Isaac felt a thrill of fear that made his knees tremble.

He just headbutted a God.

As if to prove that point, Loki laughed, passing his fingers over his injury and in a matter of moments all evidence of the blow was gone.

"You have done a very unwise thing, Isaac Portman." His voice was like velvet, the sound of his name said by that musical voice sent shudders down his spine.

"What? This can't be the first time someone's hit you." Isaac forced out a laugh.

"No, you have caught my interest." There was a glimmer of laughter in those brilliant green eyes of his and it wasn't entirely maniacal.

Isaac wasn't sure what to make of that. "I don't think that that is something I want."

"Oh, most certainly not. That is a part of what makes this fun."

Loki took a step forward and Isaac took several steps back. "Let me out of here."

"It's your mind. You could leave any time you wished."

Isaac glared. "How."

Loki sighed as though he were a parent trying to explain a concept to a troublesome child. "You've come close on two occasions now. Simply focus."

"That's not an answer!"

"It is if you would cease panicking and think." The Asgardian's voice dropped for a moment, he wasn't yelling but his voice carried and echoed.

Isaac took a breath and thought back to what the man could be talking about. "When I tried to interrupt you?"

"You tried to interrupt your memory. A foolish thing to do but effective, regardless."

"Why can't you just… I don't know, undo whatever you did?"

"I could but this is far more entertaining."

Isaac tried to squash the rage that immediately rose up at his words. "Ass." He muttered.

He stood in thought for a moment trying to remember what exactly he'd done in that moment of desperation. Try as he might, he couldn't summon the same feeling of urgency.

The space around him flickered with broken shards of thought, taking form and being discarded in quick succession. Loki was watching the fragments with open curiosity, an expression that made him far less threatening than he should have been.

Loki looked over at him with an amused expression and Isaac realized that an image of the Asgardian had formed amongst his thoughts.

Isaac stopped himself short of snarling at the man before returning to his meditation, closing his eyes trying to clear his mind before he incriminated himself.

"You seem rather fascinated."

His eyes flew open to find the God only a foot or so away. "By what?" he asked slowly.

"By me." An infuriating smirk graced the man's features.

"By your magic in general." Isaac quickly corrected him.

Loki didn't seem deterred, creeping closer and for some reason Isaac found he couldn't move.

No, actually, physically, was incapable of moving.

"What the hell are you doing?" he could feel his heart rate skyrocket, he was frozen in close proximity to a mad man- an attractive mad man- but a mad man none the less.

Loki didn't answer him merely coming to stand close, but not quite touching. The intimacy of the position was completely offset by the feeling of intense claustrophobia. Yet, try and struggle as he might, Isaac couldn't force his body to move.

"Whatever you're doing, knock it off."

"I'd tell you to go ahead and try to stop me but alas." Loki leaned forward ever so slightly, his head hovering just beside his own. A hand came up, long fingers fluttering over his neck for a brief moment before pressing behind his ear.

A horrid burning sensation flared to life beneath those cool fingertips and Isaac yelped trying desperately to force his body to move away. He couldn't. The pain only started to increase with no signs of stopping.

Failing to move and realizing that Loki wasn't about to stop anytime soon he switched tactics. He mentally shoved with all his might, willing the other to get away from him, to free himself, to escape this hell. Searing pain roared through his skull and he screamed as he pushed harder… and the world around him fractured like shattering glass leaving him to fall into nothing.

Loki watched the man as he shifted in his sleep. He'd only meant to give him a push to help him break out of the Mind Prison. He hadn't expected that violent of a reaction though. When the threat of his presence didn't seem to do anything he'd switched to pain, using the chance to mark him in the process.

After all, it wouldn't do to lose his new toy just after gaining it.

Now though, it was taking its toll on the mortal. His nose bled slightly from the mental strain, and his sleep was too deep for Loki to wake him. He sighed and crouched next to him, gently pressing his hand to the man's head.

He found his consciousness easily enough and coaxed it forward, slowly waking him from his slumber and swiftly changing his form as his eyes opened.

"Are you alright?" he asked in the voice he used for the barkeep.

Isaac stared at him for a moment, blinking stupidly around himself before sitting up in a slow and gingerly manner.

"I…" he trailed off, looking around again to try and orient himself. "How long was I..?"

"Only a few minutes. Come on." He offered a hand and was surprised at how easily Isaac accepted the help. Was he hurting that badly? He shouldn't have suffered any physical injury though with how he'd struggled he may have damaged some of his muscles.

Loki, lost in his analysis of the man's condition easily slung the man's arm over his shoulders and lifted him to his feat with little to no effort. After all, how many times had he lifted Thor? The thought was banished as soon as his brother's name entered his mind. No, he was lucky that Isaac was too out of it to wonder why the barkeep had such strength.

Loki eased the man into a stool, making sure he wouldn't fall over before going around the bar and summoning a bottle of water to hand to him, giving him an empty cup to spit into.

After a few moments, the man looked slightly less disoriented but still looked like he'd gotten trampled. He'd discarded the illusion of the other people in the bar not wanting to bother making reactions for all of them in regard to his sudden collapse.

The bell above the door chimed to signal a customer. An _actual_ customer. He looked up to see a woman, in jeans and a t-shirt under a leather jacket. She looked like any other mortal. Except for how she swept the room with her gaze before settling on Isaac. Or the knives that he only glimpsed in her boots and the gun that was tucked in the small of her back.

An officer of some sort. Isaac had revealed how he and S.H.I.E.L.D. were at odds but surely, he wasn't truly being hunted.

The woman walked up to the bar and settled into the stool next to the man. "A shot please. Vodka."

It took him a moment to gather the materials to put the shot glass in front of her. She was watching Isaac and it would have looked like an attempt to flirt if Loki hadn't been aware of her weaponry.

"Drinking water at a bar?" she asked lightly, trying to drag Isaac into a conversation.

The man looked over at her, his eyes roving over her form for a brief moment. "Yeah, I've had my fill today."

"C'mon, have a shot with me." She giggled and gently shouldered him, making him wince.

She tilted her head to try and see his face, nudging the shot in his direction.

"Look, I'm sorry but I really don't drink well. Clearly." He raised his water bottle in proof though Loki knew that the man had drank anything at all that day.

She pouted at him. "Oh, please. A single shot won't hurt… it's kind of hard to celebrate by myself."

"What are you celebrating?"

"A promotion."

"Oh?" Isaac rubbed at his face, his head drooping for a moment as he tried to keep himself awake.

The woman looked confused for a moment, but the expression was smoothed over. "I'm Natalie."

"Jared. Nice to meet you." Isaac gave her a tight smile.

She frowned briefly. "Nice to meet you." She pulled out her phone for a moment, tapping a few things. She was turned so Isaac couldn't quite see the screen, but Loki saw the man's picture appear.

Loki decided to sit back and watch. He was curious as to what would happen. Then he caught it. Fear. Isaac was afraid.

Something about that didn't sit well with him. He'd done his best to intimidate the man and while, yes Isaac had felt fear towards him it was nothing compared to this terror.

Then the female was drawing her gun and Isaac was on his feet, tackling her off of the stool and knocking the weapon away. She punched him, rolling them so she would have the advantage. She only had to hit him twice for him to lie still. His already battered form posing no real resistance. In fact, Loki was surprised that the man even registered the girl as a threat.

She was still on top of him, panting before realizing that she was being watched.

"Sorry about that." She said, pulling out her badge. "This guy is a wanted fugitive of S.H.I.E.L.D. I'll be taking him away and some guys will be by later to ask you a few questions."

"What is he wanted for?" he reached out with his magic, loosening her resolve.

"I'm sorry, sir, but that is confi…dential…" she paused. "He's wanted more to keep him from revealing more secrets…"

"Hmm." He slowly came around the bar and once he was close enough he delved into her mind, rearranging her memories to show a man that she mistook for Isaac sitting at the bar. And then her leaving empty handed.

Once he withdrew he was pleased to see her slowly get to her feet and leave the bar as though she was a doll attached to strings.

He looked down at the man in front of him with a sigh, wondering if he was going to be more trouble than he was worth.

 _ **This one was a bit action packed but fear not the next should be a bit calmer... should being the key word there.**_


	6. Chapter 6

**_Sorry for the wait! I'm glad to see how many followers this story has gained so far! So exciting!_**

 _ **Hope I dont disappoint... Welp, enjoy, review, and all that fun stuff.**_

Isaac woke slowly. He was warm and comfortable, truthfully, he found no reason why he shouldn't just continue to sleep. But something was bothering him.

He frowned, slowly shifting and felt the cool fabric brush against his skin. A heavy, down comforter was draped over him. He didn't own anything like that.

Then he remembered.

 _Oh god. They have me. Oh shit._ He panicked but resisted the urge to jump to his feet. Instead he held himself still and finally dared to look around.

A simple bedroom. Light, neutral toned walls, a window that let in the sunlight and the sounds of the city. The bed, nightstand, and the single dresser were the only furnishings. He frowned at the sight of candles everywhere. Grouped together and clearly used as the primary light source.

He slowly slid from the bed, his bare feet hitting the wooden floor with a light tap. He was dressed in lounge pants and a T-shirt, neither of with were his. Nor were they the prison attire he had been expecting.

He slowly crept to the door and listened, hearing the sound of movement though it wasn't near the door.

He tried the knob.

And found it unlocked.

 _Okay…_ he glanced around, attempting to find any cameras. Finding none, rather than being relieved he was thoroughly creeped out.

He eased the door open and looked out into the short hall. There was no guard or sentry. He took a tentative step out of the room, pausing when no alarms were set off. Where the hell was he? He glanced into the next door he came to find a bathroom. Frowning, he continued, walking into a large room that seemed to be both a kitchen and living area.

It was sparsely furnished, a single couch and coffee table set on a rug leaving a large open space in the middle of the room. The kitchen looked relatively up to date and had another small table and a pair of chairs separating it from the rest of the room.

His eye was caught by a painting on the wall next to his head. Well, more like a symbol. It looked… Nordic? Like one of those strange charms that were sold at novelty stores by creepy old hags who pretended to be witches. It was about the size of a quarter.

Then movement made him look to the figure standing by what looked like the front door. Isaac could only see his back, but his wariness swiftly gave way to confusion.

"Lawrence?"

The figure stiffened in surprise.

"You're awake?" the man asked slowly turning around. Something seemed… different about him but Isaac was too focused on the situation to properly examine the man.

"What happened? Where are we?"

"Oh. You collapsed."

"But SHIELD-"

"There was a bit of confusion but in the end she said she had the wrong person. I didn't think you wanted the authorities involved."

"No…" he frowned again, leaning his shoulder against the wall. "Then… where are we?"

"My home. It's nothing special but it is directly above the bar so it is quite convenient."

"How long have I been here?"

"Not long. Only a night. The bar is closed today so feel free to stay as long as you'd like."

"Thanks… Where are my clothes?"

"In the dryer. Your shoes are here." He gestured to the boots that sat by the door.

Isaac hummed in thought but was interrupted by his stomach grumbling at him. He winced at the uncomfortable feeling of his stomach eating itself. "Uh, thank you, really… do you happen to have food?" he gave the man an apologetic smile.

Lawrence tilted his head to the side, examining him for a moment before turning towards the kitchen. Isaac watched as he walked to one of the cabinets and tapped his fingers against the wood before opening it.

"There should be plenty in here if you'd like. I'm an awful cook though." He looked back at him.

Isaac smiled. "How about I cook then? As a thank you."

"Be my guest." Lawrence gestured at the open cabinet and tapped his fingers against a lower cabinet. "Pots and pans are in here if you need them."

Isaac was already glancing through the selection. It was… unorganized. Cans of green beans shared a shelf with noodles and pancake mix. No herbs or spices to be seen. It was as though he'd just bought things at random and hoped to make something out of the mess.

The thought of that same man trying to cook made him chuckle.

"How about pancakes?" he asked, taking the box out. He passed it to the other male. "Mind grabbing what we need? I'll set up the pan and bowels if you get the ingredients out."

Lawrence frowned, his eyes scanning over the ingredients. "Sure…" he replied slowly turning towards the fridge.

Isaac set up the tools he'd need and grinned as Lawrence set everything on the counter in front of him.

It didn't take long to mix the batter and get the pan heated up. Lawrence seemed to be watching with a curiosity that made him wonder if he'd never seen anyone cook anything in his life. It reminded him of a certain prick of a pseudo-god who had been watching his memories with the same expression.

It made his skin prickle. He shook it off though, having already concluded that Lawrence and Loki were two different people.

He finished up the batter, taking the plate full of golden, fluffy pancakes to the table. "Do you have syrup? Utensils, plates?" he asked, gently reminding the man that he hadn't set the table or moved at all from where he'd stood watching him.

Lawrence thought for a second before retrieving the items and setting them out. "Is that everything?"

"Have you never cooked?" he asked with a small laugh.

Lawrence gave him an indignant glare. "I have just not often. Or well. Frankly I have found it to be a waste of my time."

Isaac chuckled and raised his hands in surrender. "Okay, okay, just have a seat and try some then. I'm not the best but they aren't burned or anything."

Loki narrowed his eyes at the man as he took the remaining seat. It wasn't that he didn't know how to cook. He simply didn't know his way around the Midgardians' overly excessive technology. He also didn't know what they would consider normal.

These pancakes were new to him, so he had watched in fascination as the man had made them. He'd had to summon everything in the cabinets. Truthfully, he'd spent the last night trying to make the space feel lived in. Summoning furniture to fill the empty space. He only ever used the bedroom and the bath. Everything else he'd been using for spell work. Now everything was tucked neatly away in the spare room with the door sealed and hidden.

He was luck that he'd done that when he'd brought the man here. He hadn't heard him wake and had been completely caught off guard when he'd walked in. Luckily, he hadn't seen his face and was able to shift forms quickly.

The quick, successive uses of magic was slowly taking its toll.

He mimicked Isaac, cutting apart the fluffy cake and dipping a piece into the syrup before eating it. He paused, staring at it. "It's good."

"You sound so surprised."

He looked up at the mortal and paused, momentarily distracted by the sight. He hadn't been paying attention, using his magic to change the man's clothes so he wouldn't get the bedding dirty. Now that he was looking though… well, it always amazed him how vibrant Midgardians were.

Their lives were so short, and so bright. They felt everything as infinitely more intense than he himself ever would. He brushed against the man's mind, fusing their senses together momentarily. Just to see. Just to appease his curiosity.

Sweet, savory, warm, soft. The scent of warm butter and sugar swamped him.

It was intoxicating. It made his teeth chatter, his tongue tingling with imaginary taste.

He withdrew before he became too tempted. After all, Isaac had been exposed to his magic more than most people he wasn't entirely sure if he wouldn't develop a resistance to it.

"So. What exactly was SHIELD coming after you for?" he asked slowly. He didn't expect a truthful answer, but he hadn't managed to force the answer from him yet.

Isaac paused, looking up at him with a hesitant expression before swallowing and leaning back in his chair.

"They've been trying to catch me for years now." He chuckled.

"Why? It's not as though you have any… power." Loki didn't know what else to call it.

"No. But I tend to call them out on their bullshit. The Avengers too. Took a few too many pictures that they weren't able to erase."

"Oh?" That was interesting.

"Simple things. Just knowing what everyone is up to. When they mess up I make it, so they can't cover it up." Isaac shrugged.

"So, they're trying to kill you?"

"I don't know. Considering how I've managed to run anytime I've come into contact with them, I doubt it. Otherwise there'd be an order to just shoot me on sight."

"So, what are you doing in my bar?"

Isaac seemed to think over his answer for a moment before speaking again. "I received a request from a friend of mine. He wants me to find Loki. No one else has found him yet and he wanted to see if I could."

That did line up with what he'd told him in the Mind Prison. "But the bar…?"

"Ah, there was a tip that the guy's been seen in the area."

"And? Did you find him?"

"No. Not yet." Isaac smiled, bitterly at him.

It was a lie, Loki knew, but it was so smooth that had he not been involved he wouldn't have guessed that Isaac was lying at all.

It actually amazed him how the man could speak so easily to a relative stranger when he had trapped him and he would say nothing.

"Do you happen to know anything?"

The question caught him off guard and Loki stared across the table at him. "I'm afraid not."

Was he trying to gain an informant? Loki found himself smirking as he leaned back. Information for information… a clever tactic. By telling him more about himself, by being honest, he would be subconsciously motivated to open up to the man. In the meantime, Isaac had given him very little to work with though it sounded like a lot.

"But I will let you know if anything comes up." He grinned at the mortal. This would be interesting indeed.


	7. Chapter 7

**_Hello again! Sorry for the late delivery I finally finished the book I'd been working on! Anywho Read, Review, I love hearing your thoughts though I know I dont deserve them!_**

 ** _Also note, I dont own anything and i will ask you to excuse the, er, lack of expertise in most things mentioned_**

 ** _But other than that,_**

 ** _Enjoy!_**

* * *

Isaac left the small apartment, went down the stairs to the bar, and quickly made his way outside. It wasn't until the door closed behind him that his heart started to pound, and his breath became shaky.

He didn't notice right?

He cast a glance towards the upper windows, noting with some relief that 'Lawrence' wasn't watching him.

He pulled out his phone and quickly dialed a number he'd been forced to memorize by heart.

"Bonjour, comment p-"

"HiJinx." He cut her off as he started walking.

"Rude." She huffed. "What's up Knife?"

"I need a favor."

She was silent for a long moment. "You. Need a favor from me?" she snorted a laugh. "I don't know if I should accept. Your favors usually put me way too close for comfort with our dear friends in SHIELD."

He smirked. She was already hooked. "I need their file on Loki."

"You want what?"

"You heard me."

"…Why?"

Isaac rolled his eyes. She refused to work unless she knew all the details. "I took a job to find him. I need that file."

"What is with you and the suicidal jobs?" she muttered but he could hear the keyboard in the background as well as background music which he recognized from a video game.

"Are you using your gaming headset to answer phone calls?"

"….no." there was a nearly silent click and the background noise disappeared.

"Yes, you are you just cancelled out the background. Why didn't you have that on in the first place? And why do you have your headphones on when your using speakers?" he chuckled to himself. She must have been gaming and grabbed her headset so she could talk and use her controller at the same time.

"Because usually callers aren't so nosy." She snapped at him.

"You get other callers?"

"…shut up Knife."

He chuckled. He'd met her online, and they only knew each other by their usernames. HiJinx was well known both in the gaming community and online forums. She was also a notorious hacker, though that wasn't so well known. He went by Blu3Knife. Not the most creative but sometimes, generic came out in his favor. He was easy to forget.

Until he started talking to her and she actually found his file. That had been messy to say the least. He found her location and they both threatened the other with exposure after they had both figured it out and moved.

It ended with a rather lucrative alliance. He was her physical feet on the ground and she took care of any and all digital attacks.

"Hmm."

"What?"

"Well, the backdoor in SHIELD's system is still there for one. I take it you didn't get caught the last time we did this?"

"I made sure they wouldn't know how I got the info. Did you find the file?"

"One second, I'd rather not trigger some kind of alert…. Yeah, I have it. Surprised it's not password protected."

"Its probably public for their admins."

"Ah, true. So, what do you need?"

"List of powers."

"Healing, resilience, illusions, mind control, shapeshifting – wait, _shapeshifting_?! The hell is this?! That bastard is just strolling around as one of us?!"

"Chill Jinx. That's all I needed to know."

"Knife, hold up. Seriously. You might want to back out of this one, he can be _anyone_."

"Thanks for the concern but I'm pretty sure I've already found him."

"…."

"No use tracking the phone, I've already left." He looked up as he reached a familiar club.

"Dammit!"

"Thanks Jinx."

"Please be careful…"

"Is that concern I hear?"

"Yes, idiot. I'm concerned for you. That should clue you in as to how stupid you're being."

She hung up on him without waiting for a reply. He breathed a sigh of relief, she was too smart for her own good. It would only be a matter of time before she narrowed down a list of potential 'Lokis'. He hummed in thought, walking past the club and up to the door that was crammed between it and the store next to it. The rusty thing was all but forgotten in the midst of neon signs and people.

He shoved his shoulder into it and the metal door swung open easily. He shut it again and locked it since he was the only resident as far as he knew. Left open so he could duck inside he locked it as an extra precaution when he was home though it wasn't really necessary.

He quickly made his way up the rickety stairs and to the second door on the left. The first was just a supply closet. This one he had to unlock.

His home was simple. A single room with a kitchenet and a small bathroom. He smiled to himself as he locked the door. His own little haven. Rent was paid anonymously, landlord didn't ask questions, and it was cheap. He picked his way over to the desk where he'd left his back pack and began packing for the job. He shoved his laptop and several external batteries into the bag. His camera he had in a separate bag.

He couldn't stop the shudder that ran down his spine as he thought about how close he'd been the entire time. He probably wouldn't have caught it- hell, he _didn't_ catch it until they'd almost finished their meal.

Loki had called him by his name. Not by his real name, but the name that had been on the fake ID that he'd handed to Lawrence.

Isaac Portman. It was the name he was going by currently, but it wasn't his real name. Not what Loki would have gotten had he looked for it in his mind.

He had sat down and had a _meal_ with _Loki_. He didn't know what to think of it. He wanted to slap himself. He should have listened to his gut and just reported his findings but now… he wanted to know more.

His curiosity forbade him from ratting out the Asgardian. He wanted to know why. Why Loki had protected him from SHIELD. Why he was hiding out in that dingy little bar. Why didn't he just kill him to begin with.

He changed into a pair of more comfortable jeans and a t-shirt, sliding on a thick hooded jacket and a pair of fingerless gloves. He didn't know how long he was going to be gone for this time. He pulled a knit-cap over his head and slung his bags over his shoulder.

With that, he bid farewell to his bed and the relative comfort of home and headed out again. He looked like a student and he kept his head down as he made his way back to the bar. There were a few buildings around it and conveniently enough, there was a café that sat across the street. He entered and found himself a spot in the corner closest to the street.

Now was time for the real work.


	8. Chapter 8

**_I am so sorry! I promise I will continue to update it just might take me a while. Between job hunting and the actual book I'm attempting to edit/publish I am going to be a bit slow. BUT! I shall not abandon you!_**

 _ **Anyways reviews are appreciated though I dont deserve them. Enjoy!**_

* * *

He ran his hand over his face as he sat back in the booth. His luck was as terrible as ever.

Isaac glared at his computer. Lawrence was lounging in the corner of the couch, reading. It was so mundane that it made him want to rip his hair out. He had yet to get solid proof that Loki and Lawrence were the same person beyond his gut feeling and that treacherous little detail of his name.

Even so, he was starting to wonder if he was wrong.

He'd installed the cameras before he'd left. They were tiny wireless ones that he could log into so long as he could get within range. He only had two on his person the last time hed been to the mans apartment, one was in the living area, the other was in the bar.

He had continued to frequent the establishment and while he still couldn't say he was certain, he at least managed to get Lawrence to casually converse with him. The man had started asking more questions, and as much as Isaac wanted to be paranoid he was so… innocently curious about some of the simplest things that he couldn't help answering.

It was…fun. Which was disturbing. For once he was actually hoping he was wrong.

He sighed, letting his head fall back against the wall. He had nothing. Absolutely nothing. And he was quickly going broke. He needed to turn something in.

He pulled out his phone and dialed Matt's number.

"Do you have something?"

"I'm doing fine, how are you today Matt?" Isaac yawned, glaring at his now empty cup of coffee.

"When was the last time you slept?"

"What day is it?"

"Isaac, that's not funny."

He rolled his eyes. "What gave me away? I thought I was doing well."

"You're not usually _that_ asinine."

"Im at the 46 hour mark." He motioned over to the waitress who walked over and refilled his cup. He grinned at her, pleased when she smiled.

"And when was the last you slept before that?"

"Lets just say Im on a three day cycle give or take about five hours." The waitress returned with a steaming plate of breakfast potatoes, toast, and an omlet. She set it in front of him with a wink. He went through the spiel, 'you didn't have to – oh thank you so much- blah blah blah' the poor girl had been stuck with him practically all week and she'd started giving him left overs from their breakfast or late night menu.

"… Are you flirting?"

"Can't beat free food."

He heard the other man's laughter. "You are a damn rake. You're the one that gives the rest of us gentlemen a bad name."

"So they keep saying. But on the subject of free food. I need a job to tide me over during this fiasco."

"So you haven't found anything?"

"I wouldn't say that. I'm just lacking in the evidence department."

"So he is there?"

Isaac frowned and leaned back again. "You should know better than to ask so many questions. I'll get you the story as I always do. I'm just saying that this one is going to take a little longer so I'm going to have to take another job in the meantime."

"Right, right, you still campin' out that bar?"

"I'm doing my job if that's what youre asking."

"Alight, alright, put the claws away I get it." The man sighed. "Shit, Isaac, its been almost three weeks. I'm used to you being done in under one."

"Well you kind of set me up for failure with this one." He pinned the phone against his shoulder as he picked up a slice of toast and fished out a strawberry jam packet.

"So, you're lookin for quick money?" the man sounded distracted, probably looking through his files. "Uhhh…" there was a murmur of sound in the background, not unusual but Matt started to stutter. "H-how about this one… uh looks like weapon smuggling on the docks."

"Smuggling? Matt, I thought I told you I'm done dodging bullets." He couldn't deny that he was tempted though. Once again his leg throbbed with phantom pains.

"Yeah, well, I mean youre already stickin your neck out for this one-" more rustling and muttering "and this is the only thing I have available."

Isaac frowned. That was… odd. Something wasn't right. "Really? The only one? That's pretty harsh, is your magazine going to do okay with so few stories?"

"I'm tellin you its all I got, you gonna take it or what?"

"Sure. Send it my way." He clicked over to a web browser and logged into the email he used for work. It was a pretty thrown together file. A couple pictures that were blurry of a few men, a couple profiles, a location…. It wasn't that it was incomplete it just felt rushed. Still, it was enough to work with.

"Did you get it?"

"Yeah. I'll get it done."

"Rumor has it their next meet up is… uh. Bout 10pm tonight."

"Tonight? And no one was on this already?"

"Yeah, look I gotta go. Good luck, kid." Matt hung up before Isaac could say anything else.

He stared at the phone for a moment before he shook his head and started shutting down his things. It was about time for him to head into the bar.

* * *

Loki hummed absent-mindedly as he meandered around the bar. He still wore the guise of the bartender, more to force himself into the habit than anything else.

Also because it was almost time for Isaac to show up.

He didn't know what it was that made him look forward to the other's company but he found himself fidgeting as it approached 4 o'clock. He knew the man was nearby, he'd been nearby for the past three weeks. He'd found the cameras after a bit of searching and while they were annoying he saw the potential in keeping them where they were.

It was a wonderful opportunity to mess with the mortal.

Isaac was certainly more intelligent than he originally gave him credit for, and once he'd started talking to him, he found the mortal to be almost charming. In a new play-thing type of way. He knew the fascination would pass and he'd have to get rid of the Midguardian eventually but for now, Loki reveled in the brief reprieve of the boredom that had been plaguing him in the months that he'd been hiding.

What worried him was the temptation that went along with spending time around the mortal.

Isaac had a will to live that he hadn't seen in a long time. A vibrancy to his life force that drew him in. Tempted him with the unrelenting curiosity of what it was to _feel_ as the other did. However, getting a taste of that vibrancy, that _life_ required him to get closer.

Even as he thought it, the bell above the door chimed and none other than the mortal in question walked in.

"You're early today." He smiled, setting a glass of water down in front of the man.

"What can I say, I missed your face." Isaac grinned at him.

Loki chuckled. "Youre off to a great start."

Isaac shrugged. "Cant blame me for trying."

Loki leaned back against the counter, crossing his arms and tilting his head to the side as he examined the human. "So, are you interested in males?"

Isaac blinked, stupidly at him. "Wait, was I not being obvious?"

"No, you're being very obvious. I'm curious to know if you are just doing it for your own amusement or if you are actually interested."

"What, worried I'm not serious?" the man grinned at him. "I can go either way so long as the other party is my type."

"What is your 'type' then?"

"Interesting."

"Interesting?"

"Yeah, interesting. As in I find you interesting. I want to keep talking to you and learning about you. What about you?"

"What about me?"

"Are you interested?"

"In males in general or in you?"

Isaac laughed. "Wow, straight to the point. Let's go with both."

Loki hummed in thought for a moment or two, just watching Isaac _watch_ him. "I am very tempted to say 'neither'."

"But…?"

"But… I do find you interesting." He shrugged and busied himself cleaning one of the glasses behind him.

The human was grinning like an idiot. "Interesting enough for you to say yes to a date?"

"Date?" Loki raised an eyebrow at him. "I thought 'dating' was for people who have known eachother for a while before deciding to move on to a more physical relationship."

Isaac sighed and shook his head with a smile. "Well yeah, but it can also be for people who just want to get to know eachother better."

"Without sex involved?"

"No, sex is usually involved at some point but its not necessary."

Loki narrowed his eyes at the man. "So what are you after?"

"Would you believe me if I said that I truly just want to just get to know you?"

Isaac was trying too hard to convince him. The human clearly had something more in mind but Loki played along, more interested in finding out what the mortal had planned than anything else. "Sure I would if it were true."

Isaac pouted at him and the indignant expression made him laugh.

"Alright. Fine. You win."

"You'll go on a date with me?"

"No. Not a date. But I will spend time with you in a more casual setting."

Isaac grinned. "So a date."

Loki found himself rolling his eyes. "Whatever you say. When would you like to do this?"

"Hmm… how about tomorrow? Here, if that's okay. Unless you had somewhere you wanted to go? I can cook dinner."

"That's fine." As much as he didn't want the man snooping around his temporary home he was curious to see what he was planning. Judging by the grin, it was going to be something


	9. Chapter 9

**_Welp that didnt go as planned. Lets try again!_**

 ** _Read review, thank you for the reviews! and especially to you wonderful reader who let me know the chapter malfunctioned!_**

* * *

Isaac shifted uncomfortably, trying to keep his legs from falling asleep. He was crouched on top of one of the buildings just outside of the warehouse district, huddled between the low wall that surrounded the rooftop and the block that protected the stairs.

A gust of wind made him wince, he was freezing but it was more from sitting still for so long than lack of clothing. He looked down at his camera screen, the extended lens resting against his leg to keep it steady. Unfortunately it forced him into a contorted and rather uncomfortable position.

There were a few people loitering around but what set Isaac off was the fact that they'd been there since eight. He himself had set up at about 6 giving himself plenty of time before anyone else would be there.

The goons he was looking at didn't quite fit the profile he'd been given. And the more he looked around the more people he spotted that were just _waiting_.

It was almost time for the alleged meeting and while he had taken several pictures of the people that were skulking around he had yet to see anyone from any of the crime syndicates in the area.

A van slowly pulled up to the warehouse and Isaac zoomed in, taking a picture of the license plate. The window rolled down but he hadn't been able to set up any microphones in the area and the angle wouldn't allow him…

He zoomed in on the mirror, catching a glimpse of the man in the drivers seat.

His mouth went dry.

A small beep in his ear told him he had an incoming call.

"Hello?" he answered quietly.

"Yo, Isaac."

"Matt. You realize I'm on a job right? Why are you calling me?"

"Because-" there was some noise from the background. "Well, I mean it's not quite time yet. Are you already set up?"

Isaac paused. "Yeah… I'm near the warehouse now."

"Really?"

Isaac watched the gathered goons fan out, searching the area. His heart dropped into his stomach.

"Yeah." He answered with a sigh. "I'm trying to get a good shot, so I'm heading towards the roof of the building directly north of the warehouse. What's up? You're usually not this curious about how I do things."

There was the rustle of movement and Isaac watched through his camera as Nick Fury snapped something at someone. He took a few more pictures for good measure then started packing up.

A team of people were heading towards the building he'd mentioned, and he could hear the distant sound of a helicopter.

His throat felt tight and his chest ached horribly.

"No reason, really, just… hell, kid, you know I worry about you. This is your first mission like this in a while and I was worried that you'd be… I dunno, anxious?"

Isaac tightened the straps of his backpack and started the trek down the stairs. "Nah, I mean sure it's a bit adrenaline inducing but I know you wouldn't send me out into the line of fire." He forced a laugh, jumping down the stairs as quickly as he could without making too much noise.

"Of course, that's what friends are for."

"Yeah. You know, Matt, I really look up to you. I mean, hell, you're like the dad I never had. Or the cool uncle I never knew existed." He chuckled again. "You've stuck with me since I was what? Fifteen?"

"… yeah. Bout that age…" the man's voice was thick and heavy. "What's up with the flattery? You aint thinkin bout jumpin are you?"

He pushed open the door of the side exit and started jogging away from the scene, avoiding the places where he knew there were people lurking. "Heh. No, I'm too stubborn to just roll over. You can tell that to Fury."

"Wait-"

Isaac hung up, pulling out his cell and dialing a very recently learned number.

It almost went to voicemail and when he picked up, Loki's voice was hesitant. "Hello?"

"Hey, do you mind if we move that date to tonight?"

"Tonight? Its 10 o'clock… are you alright?"

Isaac couldn't stop the laugh that bubbled up. "Yeah. Fine, peachy." He glanced around a corner, flattening himself to the wall as a couple of agents ran past.

"Isaac…"

He stayed quiet until he was sure he was clear. "Is that a yes?"

"Yeah. Sure, I'll leave the door unlocked."

* * *

Loki sighed and sealed away the second room again. Something was wrong.

Isaac had sounded strange over the phone. Then again as unfamiliar as he was with Midguardian technology it was hard to tell.

He sat heavily on the couch and let his head fall back, closing his eyes and reaching out with his mind until he found the mark he'd put on the human. The man was moving quickly, taking a zigzagging, roundabout path.

 _I should reinforce the protective wards._ He smiled at the ceiling. It was proving amusing indeed, having Isaac around. It finally gave him a purpose, a reason to use his gifts for something other than a grand overarching scheme.

He wandered over to the runes that lined the walls summoning a wand and sharpening it to a fine point before beginning to draw. The flowing patterns were hypnotic and relaxing, one rune bleeding into the next until he had strands of magic weaving together, creating several layers.

Rune magic was unique in that it was permanent for as long as the mark remained, and it could be as simple or complex as he was willing to make it. The magic would fade over time, of course, but it would never fully disappear. It had been his mother who'd taught it to him, amongst his other magics.

His father never let him hear the end of it but his aptitude for magic had so far outweighed his physical ability that his continued lessons in magic were allowed. On the condition that he continued to train in some kind of weaponry as well.

Even with his clear mastery of throwing knives and other daggerwork, his father was still not pleased.

He never was.

Loki finished his final rune with a little more force than necessary the pleasant sensation of magic ruined by the sour taste that the memories left behind. The purr and sputter of an engine told him that Isaac had finally arrived and as he heard the door close, he activated the runes.

 _That should keep any followers at bay for a while._ He thought to himself, more than ready for any kind of distraction that the mortal could bring him.


	10. Chapter 10

_**Wow okay so, lots of things happened - I KNOW no excuses and IM SO SORRY I'm really bad at updating. And writing fanfic in general.**_

 _ **Anywho. Got a new job. Full time. Which is great for finances not so much for writing. So yeeeaaah.**_

 _ **I promise I'm not gonna give up on this one! Besides I think it is coming along rather nicely... ? I dunno.**_

 _ **Read, Enjoy, Review. [seriously its the best motivator to know that people are looking forward to updates.]**_

* * *

Isaac parked and called Jinx to tell her the meter number so she could make it look like he paid.

"Why are you there of all places?"

"It's a bar?"

"…Isaac, that place has been abandoned for almost a year now."

"Okay, so? Places like this get bought, shut-down, resold all the time. They have a damn life-cycle."

"Yeah, no. This one doesn't look like it has a buyer… it's just up and disappeared from most of the records. Since it's a dead shop in the middle of a dead part of town it's been overlooked. Does this have something to do with-"

"No."

"So it does? Hey, do you think you could get a picture of him for me? Like serious candid shot."

Isaac groaned, he could practically hear the fangirl coming out. "I don't want to feed into your creepy stalker issue."

"I don't think it's considered stalking if the other party is 1: Infamous and 2: I don't actually _do_ anything."

"No."

"..you're being protective. Oh my God. Knife. Do you have a crush on Loki?"

"No. I don't."

"That's adorable."

"I just said-"

"I know what you said and I also know that you're trying to convince yourself."

"I have a crush on the bartender not the insane not-a-god."

"I really don't think he's insane though. Also. Abandoned building doesn't have a bartender. You yourself said you were going after Loki and with the whole shapeshifter nonsense Im guessing Loki is the bartender and since I know you know that already, the end result is that you are, in fact, crushing on Loki." It sounded like she had barely paused to breathe the entire time she'd been talking.

"Right. Whatever you say. I'll call you again in the morning or something."

"Have fun!"

He hung up on her. Her and her stupid, fangirl idiocy. Unfortunately, she was pretty spot on. Isaac sighed and entered the building, pausing at the odd tingle that ran up his spine. It wasn't entirely unpleasant, and it almost felt familiar. He slowly made his way to the stairs, hidden away behind a door towards the back of the bar.

He trudged upstairs, the door opening before he had a chance to knock.

Lawrence looked him over with clear concern but didn't say anything, merely stepping aside and allowing him entry.

"Are you alright?" the man's voice was soft and soothing. The musical tones doing wonders to relieve the ache that was still plaguing him.

"Yeah." Isaac flashed him a smile. "I'm fine."

"Liar." It was muttered undoubtedly meant to be unheard.

The door closed and Lawrence passed him, settling on the sofa and – there it was – that infuriating, self-assured pose that just radiated the same aura as Loki had. The man reclined easily, his long legs crossed at the ankles his arms resting against the back of the couch. He'd love to keep fooling himself into thinking that Loki and Lawrence were totally different but in all actuality, they were clearly the same. It was just his own perception of each of them that was making them out to be different.

He wanted to think of Loki as a madman. Homicidal, power-mad, insane, sociopathic, psychotic.

Sure, he was an ass but nothing he'd done so far had been any of those things. At least not in the extreme that was expected.

In the skin of a normal human like any other, it was the exact same person except without the expectations.

"So, what did you have in mind?" Loki – as Isaac finally began to mentally note- asked.

"Honestly, this was a bit impromptu I was thinking drinks, maybe a movie." He glanced around the room. "Considering you don't have a TV we'll skip the movie."

"I have cards if you're interested in playing."

The smirk on the man's face clearly told him that he was expected to lose. Which, in turn made Isaac all the more determined to win. After all, it couldn't be that difficult.

* * *

-Two hours and three bottles of whiskey later-

"Yeah, so, the bastard clearly sold me out and actually had the nerve to talk to me as though there was absolutely nothing wrong!

 _Well that clearly explains why you're drinking_ Loki hummed, nodding along with the drunken ramble coming from the Midguardian. He'd never seen the man so emotional, then again, he also never saw the man drink before. He himself had consumed an equal amount and didn't feel it at all. Though, he was used to Asguardian liquor which was much more potent.

The cards were still laid out on the floor between them, Loki was pleased to find that Isaac wasn't completely incompetent and while he was distraught about something, once engaged in a game the man didn't disappoint. Loki had won all but two games and Isaac took each defeat as a challenge.

Until he'd consumed half a bottle on his own. He became much more talkative and Loki finally gave up on the game in favor of coaxing information out of his drunken companion.

Even as he ranted, face reddened with unhidden rage, there was also undeniable hurt and betrayal. Loki didn't need to touch the man's mind to see it.

"Was there any reason for it?" he asked curiously.

"He's always after money, greedy jackass. Still… he was almost like a dad ya'know? I mean my real dad kinda sucked. A lot. Never home. I think the most I ever saw of him was at his funeral."

Loki frowned, thinking back to Isaac's memories. "So what about your mother?"

"She was home but wasn't really there. Always working. I mean she spent time enough with me, I guess. But she was always distracted like I was taking her away from what she actually wanted to be doing."

The human didn't show the same pain while talking of his parents as he did when talking of this Matt person. Loki could only assume it was because Isaac didn't hold the same attachment.

"I mean I get it. They were both SHIELD agents. I almost think they didn't want to get too attached just in case anything happened. Wishful thinking. What about you?"

Loki blinked at the man who was staring at him with blatant curiosity. "Well…" he hummed in thought. It wouldnt hurt to share a half-truth. "My father and I never got along. He always favored my brother."

A sparkle of sympathy and understanding in the other man's expression.

"I was far closer to my mother. She taught me everything I know." He let himself relax as Isaac smiled, clearly hearing him speak of himself was putting the mortal at ease. "I fear I've rather disappointed her though."

Isaac tilted his head. "Doubt it." He took a deep drink straight from the bottle since he'd lost the coordination to pour the alcohol into a cup. Loki had no doubt that even if he did manage that feat he would end up spilling it everywhere.

"Oh?" he grinned as the human squinted, swaying as he lowered the bottle back down to his side.

"Yeah… yer doin pretty damn good, s'far as I'm concerned." The mortal snorted and broke out into laughter. Loki could only assume it was at some kind of internal monologue. Then he tried to drink again and slowly tilted backwards.

Loki grabbed the man's wrist and gently extracted the bottle, keeping him from falling onto his back. "Alright, I think that's enough for you."

Isaac grinned at him, his gaze dulled and hazy and still showing echoes of pain amongst his humor. "So, if yer takin' away my drink does that mean you're givin me something else to occupy myself?"

"I'm honestly surprised that you still have enough coherence to make a pass at me." Even though he said that he still didn't let go of him.

Isaac threw back his head and laughed. "Ah, c'mon. You shouldn't underestimate me ya'know."

Loki found himself yanked forward as the wrist he'd been holding onto twisted, his own limb now held captive. Which made it difficult to keep himself from landing on top of the drunk who was now flat on his back.

"Damn. SO close." Isaac giggled. Giggled.

Loki sighed in defeat. Damn the mortal, he was appealing even when annoyingly inebriated. He wondered at that. Isaac was usually so paranoid. He knew that the man was hunting him. Yet over the last few weeks Isaac had simply talked, joked, flirted, and overall seemed to not mind the chance that he was a 'murderous madman'.

But that still isn't a good reason to get drunk in his presence. After all, what if he was a murderer? If he had any intention at all to harm the man this would be the perfect opportunity.

"You're thinking in circles, aren't you?" Isaac was watching him having released his wrist in favor of playing with his hand. He seemed completely fascinated by his fingers.

"Was I that obvious?"

"I may be drunk off my ass but I'm still not an idiot." The man smirked at him.

"A shame." Loki grinned down at him, threading their fingers together before pinning the mortal's hand to the floor. There wasn't even a flicker of apprehension in the man's gaze. "If you weren't drunk I'd most likely have taken you to bed by now."

His grin turned to a laugh as Isaac's eyes flew wide. "That's just not fair."

There was no defense. No lies. No acting, well at least nothing too outlandish and certainly not on the mortal's part. No dance of politics, of 'I know, you know'. Isaac was simply there, hurt, likely a bit confused, sexy, drunk off his ass, and looking at him like he was some kind of… well, like he wasn't _him._ In this skin he was a man like any other. And he wanted to know more. More about this strange feeling of contentment and excitement.

He reached for he man's senses, fusing their minds together just enough to feel the effects of the alcohol and the emotions that were still running rampant. Just that one touch made his head spin.

 _Oh dear._ That wasn't good. He could feel his control slipping, his mind seemed to focus purely on one thing and one thing only. It startled him enough that he didn't think to pull back.

Isaac's grin turned to a knowing smirk and began slowly moving until he was practically wrapped around him. "So, are you reconsidering the whole 'taking me to bed' thing?"

Damn the mortal.

* * *

 ** _Told you it was coming along nicely haha... *ahem* welp. Ima go hide now._**


	11. Chapter 11

**_Wow i actually came out with another update in a fairly timely fashion! however. it is being typed up via phone soooo i apologize now for any errors. If theres anything too horrid just PM me and I will re post the chap from my computer with the fixes._**

 ** _[also yes this is a repost almost immedietly after i published the first version of this chapter something wasnt right and it tried to cut off an entire paragraph at the end. Also spelling.]_**

* * *

A buzzing sound thundered through his head and Isaac groaned, slowly peeling open an eye to glare at his phone as it vibrated on the bedside table.

He yawned, pushing himself upright and stretching as the device finally stopped. A sleepy grumble drew his attention to the man currently curled around him.

Isaac couldnt help the grin that stole across his face at the sight. Loki was still asleep.

Not Lawrence. _Loki._

He must have dropped the illusion at some point last... night...

 _Oh, shit._ Isaac wracked his brain, trying to recall what had happened. Nothing. He looked down at himself, trying to find some kind of clue.

And found himself naked.

 _Ooookaaaay..._ that wasnt exactly uncommon. He did have a habit of stripping after a certain point of drunkenness.

He glanced down at Loki again. The Asguardian was beautiful without the customary sneer on his face. He was laying on his side, facing him, with the blanket tangled around his waist.

Sunlight was now pouring into the apartment and Isaac could clearly see the multitude of scars that were scattered across his skin. He had almost forgotten that Loki was considered a warrior, and was a Prince of Asguard. The thought made him chuckle.

 _Welp. Moment of truth then._ He slowly lifted the blanket, letting out a small sigh of both relief and disappointment that Loki was still wearing pants. Granted, they werent the same pair as he wore last night but it meant that there was a high possibility that his drunken self had passed out before anything happened.

Isaac slowly slid out of bed and hunted around for his clothes. He only found his pants which smelled like alcohol.

Grimmacing, he set them aside and dug through the drawers until he found suitable lounge wear. A pair of soft, loose pants and a t-shirt. Both of which had a crisp underlying scent of mint.

He squirmed into the clothes, chortling at himself as he had to roll up the pant legs once for them to fit properly. Once dressed he quietly left the room and stared blankly at the hallway.

More specifically he stared at the clothing that was scattered about the floor of said hallway.

His shirt. Loki's shirt...

 _The hell did I do last night?_ He wondered already embarrassed for whatever his drunken self did.

He slung both articles over his arm and continued out to the main room. Cards were strewn everywhere, toppled glasses, a discarded pair of pants, half empty bottle of- _Wait pants?_ He picked them up, finding them to be Loki's from the previous night.

He sighed and added them to his pile.

He grabbed two waters from the fridge, leaving one by Loki when he dropped the clothes off in the room.

He was shocked he wasn't hung over. He hummed, pleased with himself as he pulled out the equipment to make breakfast.

It was just as he finished pulling the bacon off of the stove when he heard a muffled thump from the bedroom followed by a long drawn out groan.

Isaac chuckled as he set out the plates.

Loki trudged into the room looking like he'd love nothing more than for his head to detach from his shoulders.

"What. Is this." the man practically growled, squinting against the light.

"Good morning sunshine." Isaac grinned, but he was merciful enough to keep his voice down. "This," he pointed to the food "is breakfast. That," he pointed at Loki "is a hangover."

The Asguardian let himself fall into a chair muttering foreign curses the whole time.

"Did you drink the water I left you?" Isaac set some food in front of him.

"Yes. It didnt help."

"Eat. Get something in your stomach. Promise youll feel better."

"I'd feel better without a head."

"While Im sure that can be arranged, it would be a shame to waste the pretty face."

That got half a smirk out of the other man.

They were quiet for a while, each picking at their food and enjoying the late morning. Well, Isaac was enjoying it. Loki looked ready to destroy the sun just to get rid of the headache.

"You can lay back down if youd like. I can clean up."

Loki eyed him as though the very thought was offensive. "You are a guest in my house you dont need to clean." the man sighed and closed his eyes for a moment, his forehead resting against his folded hands. "I was thinking of getting a shower anyways."

"Yeah, that would help." Isaac smiled and slowly reached forward, threading his fingers through the thick black strands.

Loki tensed for a moment then let out a small groan as Isaac slowly petted him, pushing at the pressure points that were supposed to relieve headaches.

"What was that about going to shower?"

"If you stop, I will be forced to hit you." the grumbled response made Isaac laugh.

Loki turned his head until he could see him clearly, a small smile slowly spreading across his face.

"What?" Isaac asked, deeming it safe to cease the petting.

"Oh nothing."

Isaac frowned, squirming under his gaze for several moments.

"You have no idea what happened last night, do you?"

Clearly the asshole thought that was funny.

Isaac felt the heat rise to his face. "Well... no. No I dont remember anything past you taking the drink from me." That and the image of Loki looming over him with that _loo_ _k_ was definitely burned into his memory. Hopefully forever.

"Ah... Interesting." Loki smirked at him, biting into a crispy slice of bacon.

Isaac glared at him. "Well? Are you gonna tell me or not?"

Loki grinned at him but the expression came across as playful. "Are you sure you want to know?"

"Yes, dammit!"

"You were drunk off your ass and tried to drag me out of my clothes."

Isaac raised an accusatory eyebrow at him. "'Tried'?"

Loki tried and failed to smother a laugh. "Well, you succeeded. Then you proceeded to rather insistently try to get into bed with me."

"Again with the 'try' and this is where its important. Because, you know, i did wake up naked in your bed."

"Despite your best efforts on this one it was only 'tried'."

Isaac watched in amazement as Loki's lie was painted rather obviously on his entire being. The way his ears turned pink, his brilliant eyes avoided him, and his fingers tapped absentmindedly against the table. No, perhaps not a lie but he _was_ embarrassed about something.

"Ah, why do I feel the need to apologize?" Isaac chuckled nervously.

"No, no, I am also to blame. I didnt exactly discourage you."

Well that was the best news he'd heard all morning. Isaac found himself grinning like a fool. "Does that mean you're okay with a more physical thing?"

Loki shot him a glare. "Dont go getting ahead of yourself."

But he didnt deny it.

* * *

Loki sighed as he shut the bathroom door. This was certainly not what he'd been expecting.

He'd known there would be consequences to merging his senses with the human's but a hangover...?

He stripped and turned on the water, not waiting for it to warm before stepping in.

He'd been expecting more alarm from the man. Demands for information, outrage, maybe some fear. After all, waking up in a rather compromising position with no memory as to what lead up to it would usually bring about an adverse response. He was fully expecting to be called a liar.

Yet Isaac believed him. Which meant that he _trusted_ had simply accepted what Loki told him. In fact, if anything, the mortal seemed almost disappointed that nothing happened.

He couldn't exactly disagree.

Isaac hadn't made it easy to say 'no'.

Loki stood under the water for a bit longer than necessary before actually setting to the task of cleaning up.

He hadn't lied to Isaac when he'd said they hadn't had sex. But damn had it been close. Experiencing the physical contact through the human's senses with the lack of concern due to the inebriation had completely muddled his mind. He hadn't been in control. There was nothing but heat and skin and... chaos. He had fallen into sweet, beautiful, uncontrollable chaos. No fear, no concerns, no plans, no lies, just primal desire and excitement.

He hadn't intended to stop. He knew that. Had he not come to his senses he would have had his way with the mortal. As it was he'd gained a moment of lucidity, just enough to slow down and _think_.

Luckily, he was able to bring Isaac around in slow degrees until he was calm enough to be coaxed into sleep.

Loki sighed again, rinsing out his hair and turning off the water. At least he didn't look as awful as he'd felt. He examined himself in the mirror.

With his supplies he could make a tincture that would get rid of the headache but he wouldn't be able to do so with Isaac around. Perhaps when the mortal bathed he'd have the time.

He frowned and reexamined his image. Then froze.

When had he released the illusion?

The realization came suddenly. He must have let it go last night. Which meant that he'd just sat down and ate with Isaac, _slep_ _t_ with Isaac as _himself_.

And Isaac hadn't even flinched.

Like he already knew.

His mind flew to several scenarios. Of course Isaac suspected him, he only had to look at the cameras to know that. Was he still trying to trap him?

No. Why would he? After all the entirety of the mans current distress was caused by his employer betraying him.

Isaac's emotions were genuine. As was his drunkenness. Loki sincerely doubted that the man was lying to him during that time.

What if Isaac was getting close to him for power?

He almost immediately discarded the idea. Isaac wouldn't subject himself to someone just for a taste of power that would never truly be his own.

So what was the motivation?

Loki's thoughts strayed to the previous night.

The human didnt actually _like_ him... right?

The bartender, sure, that was understandable. But Loki? the God of Lies. The power-crazed, madman? No way in all the nine hells.

Then why wasnt he leaving?

 _You never know. He could have left while you were standing here._

Loki glared. For some reason, the idea that Isaac would run from him hurt. The human was a distraction, nothing more. A toy, no, a pet. There was no reason to be upset if it got lost or broken.

Pain lanced through his core and rattled in his skull. His chest ached just as badly as his head, his lungs felt starved for air.

 _I dont want to see him broken._

Isaac had a light in his eyes that sang of adventure and mischief, a vibrancy to his soul that Loki found incredibly attractive and utterly fascinating.

A knock on the door startled him.

"Hey, are you okay?" Isaac's voice was muffled through the door.

He was still there.

Maybe the man was actually insane?

"Im fine." Loki replied, pulling on his pants and opening the door.

He certainly didnt miss the way the Midguardian's eyes raked over him as though the mortal was starved.

Isaac blinked after a moment of unabashed oogling and the expression turned to a grin. "Did you get lost in there?"

"Sort of." Loki smirked at the curiosity that lit up the man's face. "There is another towel if youd like to shower."

"I think I'll take you up on that. Though I assume you wont be joining me?" there was a smug little quirk to his lips that made Loki want to smack him just as much as it tempted him to take up the offer.

"No. Perhaps another time." he smiled at how Isaac's brows rose in pleased surprise. The man was definitely getting ahead of himself. And, frankly, Loki had no intentions of correcting him.


	12. Chapter 12

**_Yeah so im on my way to a wedding out of state so long care ride then spending the weekend with family so lots of time to write since this is on my phone and my actual book is on my computer which i will be yelled at for using while im there._**

 ** _Anyways point being prepare for more spelling errors and a bunch of updates._**

 ** _Read, Review, Enjoy!_**

* * *

"Well, since I no longer have to act around you Im going to get rid of this headache while you shower. If Im not out by the time you finish you'll find me in the next room." Loki didn't seem to know how to handle himself without the illusion to hide behind.

Isaac frowned "Next room?" As far as he knew there were only two rooms attached to the hall.

Loki smirked at him and snapped his fingers. Isaac felt something shift. He craned his head around the edge of the door frame and saw another door beside the bathroom.

He blinked stupidly at it. "Has that been there the entire time?"

"Yes and no." Loki chuckled, resting his hand on the knob. "What was that about getting a shower?" Loki grinned.

Isaac glared at how his own words were thrown back at him so easily. "Yeah, yeah." He'd take the fastest shower of his life just so he could see what Loki had been hiding.

Isaac was quiet as he slowly opened the door to the mysterious second room. Or, at least he thought hed been quiet.

"That was fast." Loki mused. He was focused on a mortar and pestle on the worktable in front of him.

Shelves lined the walls overflowing with books, papers, jars. Drying herbs hung from the cieling and the wall opposite the door was covered in weapons. Specifically daggers, throwing knives, and a pair of short swords. the center of the room was dominated by a large table which was similarly covered in papers and... drawings?

They were sketches of items, potions, plants, ingredients clearly meant to illustrate whatever was written on the page. Not that he knew how to read Norse. Or whatever the Asguardians wrote in.

"Did you draw these?"

"Do you know anyone else who'd want to deal with me long enough to make a sketch of that detail? Let alone wait for me to make whatever it is so they knew what to draw." The comment was muttered and his tone was full of bitter amusement.

"They're amazing." Isaac murmured, gently running his fingers over the edge of a piece of parchment. "You also wrote these?"

"Most likely. Or copied them in a hurry. If its a book then mind you dont poke around too much. I stole a fair number of them and havent quite gotten around to removing the protective wards. Specifically that shelf over there." Loki gestured loosely to a shelf that sat closer to the door.

"Where did you steal them from?" they looked like they belonged in a mus-

"From a museam. Several actually. Others are from Asguard and my father's library. Well, mother's library..." Loki trailed off and coughed as though he had been speaking without thinking.

Isaac smiled. "So what are you doing?"

"I am making something to get rid of this horrid condition." he added a few things to the mix and wrote some notes on a nearby page before mixing it all into a paste.

Isaac watched as Loki poured more liquid into it, mixed, poured, added and so on until what sat in front of him was a bowl of greenish brown liquid.

Isaac balked at the sight of it. "That is to cure a hangover?"

Loki raised an eyebrow at him with a smile. "Should. Its the first time Ive made it but its based on a recipe I had for headaches in general and combined it with one for nausea and another for hydration... well. It should work."

The man shrugged and measured out a portion of the liquid before tossing it back. He didnt even flinch. Isaac on the other hand shuddered at the thought.

Loki set the vial down and sat there for a moment before rolling his neck and shoulders, stretching.

"Did it work?" Isaac asked slowly.

"Its not going to work imedietly." Loki chuckled. "Give it twenty minutes."

"Well, you definetly dont look nearly as pissy as you did before taking it so..." Isaac shrugged, grinning at the look Loki gave him.

"Truth be told thats probably because I enjoy this and find it relaxing." the mans tone was guarded.

"Really? Huh, I guess Ive never had the knack for reading and doing math and such. I think its neat. Something I could never do and you make it look effortless."

Loki tilted his head. "What do you do? Other than stalk people and flirt."

"Wait is that actually what you think I do?"

"Am I wrong?"

"Well... no." Isaac rubbed at the back of his neck. "I just like taking pictures I guess... moments out of time you know?"

"You take pictures? Not of your targets?" Loki was smirking again.

Isaac gave him an irritated look. "You are not going to let that one go are you?"

"No. But I may consider it if you remove the cameras that are in the apartment."

* * *

"Look." Isaac had set up his laptop and plugged in a flashdrive with non work related pictures.

Loki grinned and shook his head. He clearly hadnt meant for Isaac to get so defensive but he felt the need to prove that he wasnt just some 'creep with a camera'.

Loki came around the table and stopped short. Isaac could already feel the proud, boyish grin on his face.

As it was the scene displayed was one of his favorites. Hed managed to set the camera to take a picture at the perfect time between twilight and dawn. It was also taken on top of one of the tallest buildings seeming to overlook the whole city and he was hanging on to the railing with one hand his body suspended over nothing but open air.

Stars on one side, sunbeams on the other. He had several version of the picture, but this was the only one with him in it.

Then Isaac hit the button to view the next photo.

There were all sorts of pictures, scenery mostly. Isaac prefered to find beauty in unlikely places. Loki leaned over him to look through them. After a few minutes Isaac nudged him over to the couch where they could both sit comfortably.

There had to be hundreds. But when he reached the end Isaac could see Loki examining the date on it which was from a few years ago.

"Do you have more?" he asked.

Isaac sighed and slowly shut down the device. "No... I gave up on it. I couldnt make any money off of them and I couldnt get any work related to it so i just... stopped."

"You know... I considered giving up on magic once."

Isaac stared at him. His magic is what Loki was known for. Even in their own mythological version of him Loki was... well he wouldnt be who he was without it.

"Why?"

Loki smiled bitterly at him. "My father. He believed both of his sons should be warriors through and through. I was always more inclined towards the arts. Including the art of magic. Which was considered effeminate. Is. Is considered... reguardless. He was always comparing Thor and I. Usually in reguards of physical prowress which is clearly my... brother's strong suit." it was hard to speak of the people he wished to forget. Or crush. It was certainly a test of patience. "I was frustrated. My magic became sloppy, ugly, uncontrollable and violent. Which only fed into everyones critisisms."

Isaac leaned more of his weight into the man's side, using him as a backrest. He could see him using the reflection in the laptop screen. The man had a pained, faraway look in his eyes.

"I began to think that I was useless. I might as well give up on it if I wasnt going to be any good at it."

"So what made you reconsider?"

"Thor did, actually. He praised my skill with a dagger in front of our father. Began pointing out where I was stronger than he. Began to rely on me for strategy and support..." Loki had to pause to clear his throat. "And he began to excell, taking Odin's attention off of me so I could do as I wished without his griping."

"You really love your brother, dont you?" Isaac asked quietly. He kept his voice soft but he wasnt afraid of the man. It was clear in the way he spoke that he was still fond of Thor, despite everything. Even the way he spoke of his father made him think that Loki still longed for the man's affection.

"Yes. I do. It is a bit too late for that though. We cant help but fight. Our perspectives are too different."

It surprised him that Loki admitted it so easily.

"And yet he still keeps trying to bring you back." Isaac hummed and stretched clearly dropping the subject. "Well, now that I am once again unemployed I might start taking pictures for fun again. Might as well, right?"

There was a sound coming from the bedroom again. "Is that your phone?" Loki asked. It had been going off repeatedly.

"Oh shit." Isaac growled and got up, shoving his laptop and flashdrive into his bag on his way to the bedroom. "I forgot to throw it away. That jackass still has my number."

He still had to tell Jynx to get him a new number. He grabbed the device off of the bedside table. The battery was low but since hed had it fully charged before last nights events it still had enough to last another hour. Its not like he had anything on it that would drain the battery.

He brought it back to the main room as he scrolled through his missed calls.

Then he froze. Jinx had been calling him repeatedly all day. Starting from about five in the morning.

He could feel his heart drop into his stomach and his stomach drop to his feet.

"Whats wrong?" Loki asked as Isaac's fear suddenly swamped him. The mark he'd put on the man could give him echoes of the mortal's emotional state and condition, so he could only guess at how terrified he actually was.

"I dont know yet." Isaac hit a few buttons and held the phone to his ear.

Curious, Loki approached the man, gently pulling the phone away and turning the volume up so they could both hear. He was shocked that Isaac allowed it.

"Knife? Knife is that you? Where are you?" the female on temhe other end sounded like shed been sobbing hysterically.

"Jinx? Im fine. What's wrong?"

'Jinx'? 'Knife'? Loki frowned. Why were they using different names?

"I-I tried. I re-really tried to stop-stop them." the girl was clearly hyperventalating. "I couldnt- I couldnt-"

"Jinx. Calm down. Take a deep breath, Im okay. I am still at the bar."

They could hear her taking several shaking, heaving breaths.

"Isaac, dont go home... They found you."

Loki watched the man pale, his grip slacking on the phone until Loki took the device from him before it fell.

"How-?"

"They manually tracked you down... I managed to make sure your computers and everything wouldnt give you away virtually but..."

"Its... fine. Jinx, its fine. Where are they now?"

"Thats what i was calling about i think theyre going to the bar. Theyre trying to take out both you and Loki in one hit."

Loki and Isaac shared a look.

"But, I mean if youre still there and they havent found you yet then..." the girl continued.

"I placed a barrier around the building. Anyone looking for it will see a wall." Loki provided. "Unless they send Thor to find me then-"

 _Oh no_. He turned his attention to the window spotting a shape quickly making their way to the building.

He should have known better.


	13. Chapter 13

**_Driving back home today! Unfortunetly that means the updates will be back to being slow as shit after today. BUT they will also have less errors because i will be back on my computer._**

 ** _Anywho you know the drill! Read, Review, Enjoy!_**

* * *

Isaac was already grabbing his bags as soon as he saw Loki watching something.

"Isaac get to the spell room. You're going to find a parchment with a teleportation spell on it. It will be on the table. Draw the circle on the floor. Call for me when you've finished."

"Wait, how will I-?"

"Go!"

Isaac clamped his jaw shut and darted past the man, grabbing his cell on the way. He was almost to the spell room when the sound of shattering glass and splintering wood made him jump.

He whipped around to see Thor standing in the main room holding Loki off the floor with one hand.

"Loki, what have you done?" Thor's deep voice resonated through the apartment.

Loki snarled at him. "For once, I truly dont know what you mean by that."

Loki stabbed something into Thor's hand, causing the other man to yell out a curse and drop him.

As much as Isaac wanted to help he knew that Loki was just buying time. The most he could do for him was to find that spell and draw it as quickly as possible.

He dove into the second room, depositing his bags in a corner before beginning to shift through the loose papers that littered the worktable. Habitually he stacked everything as he went, just so he knew what hed already looked through.

"KNIFE"

Isaac paused to dig out the earpiece and shove it into place, transferring the call over before throwing his phone into his pocket.

"What?" he went back to searching.

"Was that Thor?"

An idea suddenly came to him. "Yeah, get into the cameras i placed in the apartment. CAM1, CAM2, pin is 1017. Pass is FurySucksAss69 cap each word no spaces." he could hear the typing in the background.

"Im in. Damn that man can move."

"Whats happening?" Isaac could hear the crashing and yelling but he didnt know what was going on. "Also, while youre in there copy over whatever data theyve collected i dont know how long theyll last."

"Already done and deleted the local memory on each."

"You are awesome."

"I know it. Theyre fighting, well Thor is trying to hit Loki with the hammer and Loki is dodging like a champ."

Isaac muttered a curse and scanned through the papers in front of him, shoving all of them into the pile. "God damn it I cant find the damn spell. I cant read the freakin language."

There was an especially loud crash and Jinx squeaked. "He got hit!"

Issac cursed and ran to the wall of weapons, grabbing the duel blades.

"Isaac, Isaac, I think I can help. I can read it!"

"The hell're you talkin about?!" Isaac ran to the edge of the hall.

"Stop!"

Isaac froze, heard another crash and curse.

"Loki is against the wall immediately left, kneeling."

Isaac crouched and slid the swords across the floor without looking.

"Nice. Now grab CAM2."

The two Asgardians were fighting in earnest now that both were armed. They sounded to be arguing about something but it was in a language he didnt understand.

"Jinx, CAM2 is in the bar."

"I have someone working on that."

"Dont go involving other people."

"Too late. Guy owed me a favor. Hes just doing a drive by. SHIELD wont look twice at him... alright on my signal run to the hole in the wall. Hes gonna toss the camera in."

"Dammit, Jinx-"

"Now!"

He cursed and ran to the hole, reaching it just in time to catch the small camera as it flew in.

"Got it!"

"Roll Left!"

Isaac continued his momentum, letting his body roll further away from the hall and closer to the kitchen area. He just barely managed to dodge the hammer.

He finally got a good look at the area and just stared. The apartment was a wreck. The furniture was broken, one of the counters was cracked. The smell of gas drew his attention to the stove which was completely crushed. Loki wasnt looking too good. There was a gash on his head, and he looked to be favoring his right side. Thor didnt look much better, he had a multitude of small cuts.

Even as he watched the injuries were healing.

Thor was staring back at him for a moment before turning and yelling something at Loki who snapped a response before slashing at Thor again.

Isaac ran back to the room.

"Okay, now put that somewhere I can-"

Isaac rolled his eyes as he grabbed a strap from his camera bag and clicked the camera into its mount before strapping it around his head.

"That works." Jinx hummed. "Alight, lets get to work."

Isaac began looking through the papers again following her directions. Within a minute she found the spell he was looking for.

"How the hell did you learn this?"

"Internet. I got bored. Now, draw that circle in an open space. Holy shit."

"What?"

"Uh. Just hurry."

Isaac cursed again finding a box of chalk to copy the illustration. It didnt take him long.

"Does that look right?" he asked.

"Yep!"

Isaac took a second to grab the sheaf of loose papers and shove them into his bag along with several books that looked especially worn.

With that he strapped his bags into place and yelled "Loki!"

There was another yell and crash seconds before Loki sprinted around the corner. He grabbed Isaac and threw them both into the circle already speaking an incantation.

Thor was just turning the corner, already throwing his hammer.

Isaac felt the world around him slow for a moment.

He was going to die. Thor had only just realized that his aim was off and it was too late to pull it back. He had no way of dodging. There was no way that hed be able to survive it.

He flinched, his eyes cinching shut in preparation. Rather than cool metal he felt something warm crash into him, wrap around him.

He opened his eyes and found himself on his back, Loki laying on top of him. The man wheezed and Isaac sat up, letting him slide and roll so he was in his lap.

There was blood seeping from the man's mouth, a grimace of pain on his face.

"Loki?" Isaac gently shook him.

Loki coughed and words slowly started to form as he continued the spell.

Thor was marching towards them, flinging the worktable out of the way with a crash.

Isaac curled himself over Loki and Thor paused, clearly not wanting to hurt him.

It was just enough time.

Loki slapped his hand against the chalk and in a blinding burst of color Isaac found himself falling into a dizzying abyss.


	14. Chapter 14

**_Think i might have about two more chapters in me today. Lets see if i can do it._**

* * *

Isaac felt the air being squeezed from his lungs as they were thrown about in whirlwind of color and he clung to Loki just praying that he wouldnt get sick.

Then it stopped.

There was a slight ringing in his ears that slowly cleared enough to hear the familiar drone of crowded streets the clatter and chatter of city traffic.

Issac slowly raised his head to see a small crowd gathered around them. Most were curious some were concerned. He realized that with the way they were positioned Loki's face wasnt visible and without his usual Asgardian fashion no one had recognized him yet.

Isaac leaned back over him to fully shield the man from view. "Hey." he gave him a gentle shake.

Loki groaned and shifted a bit.

"You need to change your form. Can you hear me?"

He couldnt tell if the other was fully aware of his surroundings or not.

"Isaac...?" Loki's voice was hoarse. "Where'd we end up?" his words were slurring together.

"Uh..." Isaac glanced around. "Looks like central park."

"Oh... it worked..."

"What the hell do you mean 'it worked'?! was it not supposed to?!" Isaac looked up at the people around them. "Uh, sorry guys, we are in the middle of testing a very delicate mechanism for instantaneous transportation if you could give us a bit of room that would be great." he leaned back down to the man still laying practically in his lap. "Okay, can you shapeshift or something? We need to go."

Loki's eyes were closed his breathing soft and even and for a moment Isaac though he may have fallen asleep.

"Cant... too much energy..."

"Dammit." Isaac sat up and pulled his shirt over his head. "This'll have to do." he held the fabic against the man's nose and mouth, both of which were still bleeding. "Hold that." he waited until Loki had roused himself enough to do as he was told before pulling the Asgardian into a sitting position. With half his face covered and bloodied no one even questioned them.

Isaac slowly pulled Loki to his feet and almost fell over himself as the man swayed unsteadily.

"Should we call an ambulance?"

"-police would be better"

"Are they actors?"

"whered they come from?"

Isaac ignored the people, slinging Loki's free arm over his shoulders and proceeding to haul the man towards one of the paths.

There was a buzzing in his ear that sounded like static then a beep. He quickly clicked the button to pick up the call.

"Knife?"

"Hijinx." he huffed. Loki was definitely heavier than he thought hed be.

"I lost connection to the camera... where are you?"

Isaac glared but left the camera where it was strapped to his head. "Central Park."

"Okay. Get to the nearest road, I'm going to reconnect to CAM2 and have someone pick you up. Whatever you do dont stop moving. Im running interference but its only a matter of time before JARVIS gets involved. SHIELD is out in full force along with local police. Im keeping them disconnected for now."

Isaac bit his lip. He wanted to tell her to drop it. If SHIELD got CAM1 then they could figure out the computer that was connected to it. Which was currently Jinx. If she shut down now shed be safe. However shed be unable to track them and guide them around the blockades.

She knew what she was getting into.

It took his several minutes to get to a road.

"Head right."

Isaac followed her direction, ignoring the looks he was getting as he kept trudging along.

"A white van is going to pull up beside you. Get in."

Sure enough the windowless vehicle pulled up and stopped just ahead of them. Isaac managed to get Loki in then hopped in and shut the door, finding the driver to be separated from the rest of the van by a solid wall without even a rear window. The driver had no idea who they were taking.

It started to move almost before hed closed got it closed.

He sighed and sat heavily, leaning against the door. Loki looked like hed passed out. Isaac took his shirt back and put it on, completely ignoring the blood stains. Luckily the man himself looked fine and Isaac assumed he was healing.

"How is he?" Jinx was quiet and somber.

"Fine I guess... he took a hit."

"Thats an understatement. Had it hit you youd be dead. Very. Very dead."

The though made him queasy. "That bad?"

"Pretty sure he has a broken bone or three. Honestly im surprised it didnt break his spine."

"The guy is tougher than he looks."

"Asgardians in general are resilient suckers." Jinx chuckled.

There was a moment of silence and Isaac felt the van stop and turn.

"Where are you taking us?"

"Home."

"I thought you said they found my place."

"I never said it was your home."

"Jinx..."

"You owe me your god damned soul."

"All of it and more..." he let his head fall back against the door. She was taken them to her. To her 'Fortress'. Shed never given her address to anyone. She never shipped anything to her door. She never opened herself up to anything or anyone ever. It was almost completely off the books.

"If they find us-"

"You need to rest."

"But-"

"Dont argue with me Isaac."

"You stopped calling me 'Knife'."

"A bit pointless now isnt it? When i say, youre going to open the left door and transfer to the van that will be right next to you. Can you drag him?"

"Give me some time."

"Youll have 45 seconds."

"Good enough." He got Loki back to his feet and got himself into position.

"Now."

Isaac pulled open the door and found a grey van waiting. He opened it and got them over, shutting both doors behind them.

They did this several times. Isaac lost track of where they were or where they were going. It was almost an hour of just switching vehicles and driving before Jinx's instructions changed.

"Alright Isaac. JARVIS is up and running."

"Are you okay?"

"I have a few minutes. I already fried CAM1, CAM2 is fine for me to keep using I moved it over to a secured transmission. Its the traffic cams that I hacked thats going to get me caught. There will be car on your right. Get Loki into the back seat. You stay put."

"Jinx..."

She didnt answer for a long moment. "Isaac I cant... Theres only so much I can do... Its either him or you. If one of you gets caught I can easily get the other out. If I try to take both of you Im basically signing my own sentence." she sounded crushed, but resigned. Shed weighed the chances. Isaac knew shed never choose to sacrifice one of them otherwise.

"Let me go."

"What? No."

"Jinx. Hes defenseless. I can run. They havent caught me yet and I wont make it easy. I will not just hand him over when he cant even defend himself." he found himself snarling at her in a tone that even he didnt know he was capable of.

Jinx was quiet. "Get him in the car. Ill get you a bike."

"Thank you."

She sniffed and he could tell she was on the verge of crying again. "Dont... dont thank me for this."

Isaac didnt say anything. He simply sat on the floor of a torn up minivan running his fingers through Loki's hair, fidgeting with the soft strands. His heart felt like it was being squeezed.

"Ready?" Jinx brought him back to attention.

"Ready."

"Go."

Isaac threw open the door and pulled open the backdoor of a small silver car. He transferred Loki and threw his bags in to join him.

He didnt wait to see the car pull away, he slammed his door shut and went to the other side.

"Ready?" he asked with a grin. He forced the excitement into his voice, the adrenaline. She recognized the tone. The same as any other fast paced suicidal job hed ever taken.

"Ready... Go!"

He threw open the door and jumped onto the trailer outside. Two motorcycles were being transported and he grinned.

"Keys are under the seat."

He pulled the keys out to the red bike and released it from the bindings holding it in place.

"Howre we doin this Jinx?" he asked, scooping up a helmet and shoving it on his head.

"Rev up, bud. Youre gonna have to jump. I can get a car behind you so you can pick up some speed but its on you."

"I got this."

"Okay then."

He hopped on and gunned it, listening to the purr of the engine with glee. As soon as the truck slowed down enough he hit the gas, his heart doing flips with his stomach as he narrowly dodged the oncoming traffic and swung himself into the correct lane.

"Hey Jinx. Hope the video makes up for my not getting you a picture." he grinned as he spotted several police vehicles.

"Heh. You know I love you either way."

A helicopter was starting to follow him.

"Love you too. See you later, Gabby."

He heard her sudden intake of breath and the tightness in her voice as she replied.

"See you later, Isaac."

There was a click as she hung up and he grinned as every light in his path suddenly turned green.

There was a horrifying crash of noise as cars clashed and horns blared police sirens roaring to life. It was the perfect road block.

On the bike, Isaac weaved through the mess and was easily spotted by every policeman and SHIELD agent in the area. Which was the point.

As terrifying as that was.

Now was the fun part.

As soon as he got clear he gunned it and flew through the streets. He managed to get through one half formed blockade, knowing that they were trying to corral him into a corner.

But that was the police.

SHIELD was waiting for him at the next intersection. Nick Fury standing front and center. Isaac slowed to a stop and heard the police pull up behind him.

"Isaac Walker." Fury called. "Mind taking off the helmet, son?"

 _"C'mon son, I know a place with lots of children just like you."_

Isaac shook his head. Chances were they would just shoot him in the head once he took it off.

"Isaac, we arent going to hurt you. I just want to talk."

Isaac revved the engine, making a show of looking around.

"Isaac. Stop running." Fury held up his hand and the guns came out. "I dont want to do this, Isaac, but youre giving me very little choice."

Isaac hit the gas but kept one foot braced against the ground, pulling the bike in a tight circle and keeping it going so they wouldnt know what direction he planned to go. He only went around twice, pulling out of the circle and aiming straight for Fury.

The man reacted quickly, but not quick enough to respond to the sudden change of direction as Isaac veered off to the side.

He bowled through several agents and sped along the sidewalk, turning down an alley before turning on the next street.

They were still following. The chopper above his head ensuring that he wouldnt get away. Not easily at least.

He did have an idea but it was very very likely to kill him. But if it didnt then at least there was a chance hed get away.

He still didnt like the chances.

He cursed as he approached the bridge and a car suddenly spun in front of him forcing him to veer to the side.

There was nothing but air beneath him and he only had a moment to kick away from the bike and pray before he hit the water.

* * *

 ** _So action isnt exactly my strong point, sorry. But hey I tried._**


	15. Chapter 15

**_Oooohh we are coming up on the end soon! Anyone have any guesses as to how this might end?_**

 ** _Also. I realize that if I was smart id write everything and then just release the chapters every week or so so i could maintain viewers and possibly get more reviews. But i find it to be irritating and completely unfair to you, dear readers, that i would hold you all in suspense for gods know how long (because lets face ot id forget to post.)_**

 ** _Anyways REVIEWS HAVE BEEN LOVELY AND I WOULD LOVE TO HEAR MORE OF YOUR THOUGHTS._**

 ** _In other news. There will only be two more chapters after this. Maybe three._**

 ** _Enjoy!_**

* * *

Loki frowned. He was comfortable enough, a heavy quilt blanket draped over him and a thick pillow beneath his head. He could tell that it was cold in the room, the sound of fans running was almost deafening.

He swore he could hear something else though.

"This just in. While the suspect managed to get past the blockade, he made a fatal last minute turn to avoid another police car. Both the suspect and the vehicle he was on launched off the road and fell into the waters below. As you can see here the bike has been recovered but there are no signs of the suspect. Citizens are encouraged to stay alert and to call the local police if this man is seen. He is considered highly dangerous."

"C'mon Isaac..." the feminine voice was low and strained with worry.

 _Isaac?_ He slowly forced his eyes open, thankful that there was no light to blind him. At least not overhead. The room was still plenty bright.

He turned his head and saw a wall full of screens. They took up the entire wall above the long desk. Each showed something different.

Traffic cameras, news feed, security footage... all were focused along the water.

"You cant just disappear..." there was a flurry of tapping and several of the screens turned black for a moment before showing other scenes.

That made him look at the large office chair that sat in front of the desk, the back towards him and currently hiding the speaker.

The room was small but with all the machinery running the air conditioning unit in the blacked out window was working overtime. There seemed to be another door just beside the entryway that Loki could only guess lead to a bathroom. The mattress he was laying on was shoved into a corner raised from what he could tell. A glance showed that multiple storage bins and a chest of drawers were below the bed. at the foot of the bed was what looked like a hot plate sitting on top of a small refrigerator. he was pretty sure he also spotted a microwave sitting beside it.

The rest of the room was completely dominated by screens, computers, consoles and wires.

Despite the cramped space he had to admit it was meticulously organized.

"You must be Jinx?" he asked slowly.

Despite his hushed tone the girl still jumped and spun in her chair to face him.

She wasnt what hed come to expect from listening to her and Isaac talk.

She was drowning in an overlarge knit sweater over thick leggings which in turn met with a pair of fluffy socks. Her fingers peeked out from gloves that only reached the first knuckle, and a pair of thick glasses had slid down the bridge of her nose until she was tilting her head back to try and see him clearly.

What interested him was the lack of hair. She was bald and she lacked both eyebrows and lashes. Hed heard of human diseases and autoimmune disorders that caused it but had never met with someone who had one. Even so, he could clearly see that she was beautiful in the blue lighting, her features fine and sharp.

He found it to be almost a shame that she and Isaac clearly didnt see eachother in a romantic fashion.

A violent spike of jealousy lanced through his chest. _Maybe it was a good thing._

He looked around and realized that Isaac was no where to be found. His bag was in the corner so he couldnt be far...

Jinx was staring at him, curled up in her chair and her face downcast.

"H-Hi... Umm... I'm HiJinx. Er... Gabrielle... to normal people. Then again yer not exactly normal..." she fidgeted until a beep sounded and she whipped back to face her screens.

A news channel took front and center big enough that he had a clear view as well.

"Another update on the missing suspect from the earlier chase. The search has been called off. I repeat, the search for the suspect, who has not been named, has been called off and police are focusing on directing traffic and cleaning up the streets effected by the chase. Police are telling everyone not to worry and that the suspect is presumed dead."

There was a choked noise from the girl.

Loki watched not quite understanding what he was seeing as a video played. A red bike weaved through traffic, blew through two blockades and finally flew off the bridge.

Boats had swarmed the scene and the bike had been pulled out but there was no sign of the man whod been driving.

"Thats..." he felt breathless.

"Wait... wait." Jinx was frantically typing something and pulled up another video. Someone had taken a video with their cell of a very familiar figure flying away.

"Where is that?" Loki demanded already feeling his blood starting to boil at the thought of his brother laying his hands on his things.

"Its downstream by about twenty minutes from the bridge."

"How long can a human survive without air?"

"About... three minutes before they start to die. Thats if he held his breath." she started typing again and several charts popped up with more numbers than Loki knew what to do with.

"What are you searching for?"

"The temperature of the water."

"Why?"

"A person can be revived hours after drowning if the water is cold enough and they receive proper medical attention."

"How cold?"

She was grinning now and she shrieked throwing her hands in the air in joy. "Its below 30 degrees! Haha! Yes!"

"Thats below freezing..."

"It triggers a response that slows your heart and reduces bloodflow. Effectively prolonging your survival." She heaved out a sigh and leaned back. "Hes alive thank the gods..."

Loki blinked, feeling relief flood his system just as quickly as hed fallen into shock and heartache. The fluctuation of his emotions was something he wasnt used to.

"Um... would you like some tea?" the girl asked him slowly as she got up and began retrieving items.

"I have to go." he began to stand and was shoved with a shocking amount of strength back onto the bed.

"You are in no condition to do anything." the girl said sternly. "You need to rest."

Loki glared at her and was pleased when she seemed to shrink. "You. Do not. Tell me what I can or cannot do." he growled and shoved himself to his feet.

Only for his head to spin and legs to buckle.

"I told you..." the girl gently pushed him back onto the bed. "Y'know. I might not be able to stop you but just so you know..." she bit her lip. "I wanted to hand you over. If I did it would be Isaac here. Not you." she glared but it was full of tears and self loathing. She sniffed and continued to gather a kettle to put on the hotplate.

Loki swallowed hard and settled. Isaac had been put in a cage because of him.

He let his eyes close.

 _"Brother, I beg you stop with the mind control." Thor pleaded even as they fought._

 _"I am using no such magic. What do you think youre doing here?" he deftly danced out of the way of several blows._

 _"You kidnapped a mortal! Loki, they dont take kindly to that. Just let him go!"_

 _"What nonsense are you spouting?" Loki sneered._

 _He lost the breath to speak as he was thrown into the stove which folded beneath him._

 _"Brother... just give it up. Come home. Youve done enough."_

 _"I have done no more damage than the mortals cause each other." He shoved himself back to his feet. He knew he couldnt beat his brother without magic. Yet he also couldnt invoke the teleportation spell with anything less than full power. Something he was already lacking due to the spells that were still active around the building._

 _If only he had thought to grab his swords._

 _He managed to continue dancing around Thor but there was only so much he could do in so small a space._

 _Thor finally threw him into the wall and he fell to a knee._ _The hiss of metal sliding across the floor drew his attention and he grabbed his swords just in time to block._

 _He felt Isaacs presence and couldnt help glancing over to make sure the man wasnt going to do anything idiotic._ _He cursed as the human ran out, pausing to catch something. Thor had noticed his distraction and threw his hammer._

 _Luckily it missed and Thor stared at Isaac as the man stared at them._ _"Youre keeping him here?!" Thor demanded as Isaac sprinted back down the hall._

 _Loki snarled. "I swear, Thor if you hurt him I will not hesitate to skin you."_

 _"What?" Thor looked genuinely confused. "Why would I hurt the mortal? Im here to save him from you!"_

Loki blinked at the mug that was handed to him and he sniffed at the drink before taking a small sip. It was sweet and warm tasting of cherry blossoms.

"Uh, I think some of this is yours." Jinx dragged Isaac's bag over to him.

Loki set aside the mug and opened the bag.

Then stared at the papers and books that spilled out. In the heat of the moment Isaac had grabbed the things that couldnt be replaced and a few books that had clearly been read repeatedly. The mortal didnt even know the significance behind the items only that they may have been important to _him._

Isaac had petted him, flirted with him, been unafraid and close to him as _himself_. Even after hed dropped the illusion.

Had carried his useless ass through the city.

And had given up his freedom so that he could get away.

He reached for the mark hed put on the man and felt nothing for a long while. Then suddenly Isaac's conciousness flared to life, quickly followed by fear and fury.

Loki grit his teeth and forced himself to sit there and feel Isaac's emotions, monitoring his condition and acknowledging that it was _h_ _is_ fault. Had he forced the man away...

"Hey."

He looked up at Jinx and realized that hed been sitting there for three hours, absorbed in his thoughts and Isaac's emotions.

She was holding a laptop and a pair of headphones. What surprised him was the blush on her face.

"What?" his tone was flat but she didnt seem to mind.

"Uh... well. I started watching this since I was curious and Isaac promised I could see it since he didnt send me a picture he promised but... i think he forgot what was on it..." he gave a nervous giggle that ended in a cough. "So uh, I figured you might want a distraction? And uh... confirmation."

"Confirmation?"

"Yeah." she gave him a tight smile. "He really, really likes you. And Im not surprised that he did this. In fact... id even say he might love you."

Loki frowned more than confused until he saw what was on the screen.

His living room.

He leaned forward seeing cards littering the floor and himself perched over the drunken Isaac, the bottle that hed confiscated from him set just to the side.

He slowly took the device and slid the earbuds into place hitting the play button just as the first shock of pain reached him through his link to Isaac.

He clenched his jaw and forced himself to watch the events that he quickly realized he didnt fully recall.


	16. Chapter 16

**_So. I clearly was one chapter short on my goal but hey. Lets just appreciate that I just pumped out about three-four chapters in one weekend. And this one is once again in a pretty timely manner! Dont worry, I'm sure I'll be back to slacking soon enough._**

 ** _Anywho you know the drill._**

 ** _Read, Review, Enjoy!_**

* * *

"That...explains a lot."

Loki slowly turned his head to look at Jinx. She had been clicking away on her computer for some time now. However she didn't elaborate and Loki belatedly realized that she had been talking to herself.

"What did you find?" his voice was low and rough.

She spun her chair around to face him. "Fury knew Isaac's parents."

"Weren't they a part of SHIELD? Of course they knew each other.

"Yeah, but they were friends. I was wondering why SHIELD never actually tried to kill Isaac- and the guns they pulled on him were stun guns by the way- so I dug around. Turns out Fury was pretty close with the both of them and was a key part in the mission when they died."

"Are you saying that he feels responsible?"

"No. Never. This is Nick Fury the heartless bastard we're talkin about." she snorted her amusement. "But he did take Isaac to the Institution where he stayed until he was eighteen. And he also was the one who recommended him to a pretty high end academy where a suspicious amount of SHIELD agents graduated from."

"He wanted Isaac to join SHIELD?"

"Looks that way. Unfortunately for him, Isaac has always had a strong dislike for authority and ran away pretty early on. Dropped off the grid for a while."

Loki thought back to Isaac's memories. A battered teen standing in an office with a bad attitude and a flash drive as the only things he could offer. "He was what, sixteen?"

"Thereabouts."

Loki sighed and let his head fall back against the wall. The laptop was still sitting in his lap though he had paused the video to listen to the girl. He'd been replaying the footage repeatedly in hopes of burning the content into his memory.

"How are you feeling?"

He turned his attention back to Jinx. "I'm fine."

"I don't believe you." she just watched him for a moment before turning back to her screens. "He's eating properly. By the way."

"What?" he frowned.

"Isaac. He's eating his rations properly. They are also ceasing interrogations until further notice."

"How do you-"

"I'm in their files. Specifically I'm in their file on Isaac."

Loki reached through the link to touch the human's mind. It was quiet and still. The mortal seemed to be asleep. He let his consciousness sink into Isaac's body, too light of a touch to fully take control or even wake the man, it was a simple caress over his condition.

Bruises made themselves known. Dull, aching pain in his core, in his jaw, his eye, his head. It hurt but it was nothing permanent, nothing fatal. He could do nothing over the distance, he could only take part in Isaac's experiences and feelings. He was useless.

Isaac seemed to stir, his consciousness beginning to process his surroundings. A brightly lit room, a blanket, cold, several strong curses all skittered through the man's mind. Loki couldn't help but chuckle at the fighting spirit that still ran strong and proud through the mortal.

But the longer Loki observed the weaker and weaker that feeling became. Slowly, it faded to a deep resounding ache, an inescapable claustrophobia, hopelessness.

Loki felt that pain as though it were his own. Isaac- his mortal- was breaking.

"I may have a plan." he said slowly.

"Did you recharge enough to do anything more than fall over?"

Loki shot a glare in her direction, not that she could see it.

Once the girl got used to his presence she returned to the snarky, asinine being that he had assumed she was. She was clearly not pleased with being forced to take him in. Especially at the cost of losing her friend.

"I will need another day to fully recover."

"Alright. What's the plan?"

"I can get to him fairly easily. Getting him out shouldn't be too difficult either."

"And after that?"

"You are not going to like it."

She slowly turned towards him with a worried frown.

He gave her a bitter smile in return. "I will not enjoy it either."

* * *

Isaac stared blankly at the glass wall across from him.

"The silence won't help you, Isaac." there was a long pause then a sigh. "Hey, we aren't the enemy. You know that. Loki brainwashed you. If you would just help us help you this could all be fixed."

Isaac didn't bother to acknowledge the woman who was talking to him.

She sighed again. "Isaac. Loki is evil, he is an evil mastermind who's greatest talent is manipulating others. Whatever he's made himself out to be. Whatever he's told you. He is a liar. He is using you." another pause. "I'll come by again, alright? This has been a nice chat. I'll make sure they bring you something sweet with your next meal, okay? You like sweet things, right?"

He continued to ignore her, watching in his peripheral vision as she watched him for a moment. Then with yet another exasperated sigh and a nod she left.

Finally.

Every couple of hours they'd come and say the same thing. He had no idea how long he'd been in the cell. To him it felt like forever, in all actuality it was probably about a day, maybe two.

He was surprised that they didn't torture him for information. They only questioned him for a few hours before putting him here.

It was just another form of brainwashing. They'd come in and try to talk, try to bribe, all the while trying to overwrite his opinion of Loki. Trying to 'undo' the 'brainwashing'. What he hated was the fact that it was slowly working.

He found himself doubting. What if they were right? As much as he didn't want to believe it it could very well be true. Not that he'd ever actually know.

He sighed and let his head fall back against the glass behind him. He must have gone soft in the head. Why did he ever think that this was a good idea? Loki was... Loki.

However he wasn't what anyone would expect him to be.

Isaac found himself smirking at that. When he'd first met the man he'd wanted to rip his throat out. After all, he was messing with his memories which as much as Isaac didn't like them, they were still a part of what made him who he was.

Now, when Isaac thought of Loki he thought of books, pancakes, a child experiencing a world for the first time. He thought of warmth and the smell of ink and mint.

He pulled his legs up to his chest and set his chin on his knees. He missed the stupid bastard. They'd only known each other for a month and he wanted to know more. He wanted to keep cooking new dishes, taking pictures for the hell of it... he wanted to start reading again, learn a new language...

He sighed. Now he was in a cage for however long it took them to tire of him.

Absently he wondered if he slammed himself into the wall with enough force, would he be able to snap his own neck? The thought made him chuckle.

 _What was that about not rolling over that easily, Isaac?_

He could almost hear Loki's voice in his head using the line he'd snapped at Matt when that slimy, fat, jackass betrayed him.

 _Oops. It appears I accidentally glanced through a few things. My apologies._ Loki's voice chuckled.

Isaac frowned but forced himself to stay still. _Loki?_

 _The one and only._ There was a pause. _Are you alright?_

 _I'm... concerned as to why you're in my head._

 _...Whatever do you mean?_

 _Where are you right now?_ If Loki could talk to him telepathically and hadn't done so until now, that probably meant that it either took a lot of effort - which he doubted - or there was a range. Which meant that the man was within range. Which lead to Loki being within range of SHIELD.

 _I am to your left. I assume you know better than to look._

Isaac resisted the urge to turn his head. _How long have you been there?_

 _I've been here for a while. Getting a feel for the guard patterns and cameras._

 _I swear, Loki, if you get caught-_

 _I won't. However, since you so idiotically decided to sacrifice yourself I figured someone had to come and right that mistake._

 _Excuse me?_ He had to bite his lip to keep from laughing at the offhanded tone the other was using.

 _Face it. Being a sacrificial lamb does not suit you. Nor does becoming a martyr. On that note, your cell door will open in a moment. I do suggest leaving in a timely fashion. Can you walk?_

Isaac pushed himself to his feet and stretched, subtly looking around as he did so. Loki must have been invisible or something. _Yeah. I can move._

 _Good._

The door lock hissed as it released and slid open. While no alarm went off a red light began to flash. Isaac carefully stepped out, doubting that there would be any traps but also not wanting to risk it.

 _Come along_.

The door to the room opened. Isaac stepped into a hallway.

 _Go left._

There was some shouting now, the sound of footsteps running. Isaac trotted to the left.

 _Left again._

Isaac frowned and turned the next corner, almost missing a step as he spotted Loki's smirking face. The man was leaning against the wall.

"You-"

"Never lied." the man grinned. "I was to your left."

"How did-?"

"Did you really think I'd be able to do anything without the girl's meddling?" Loki raised an eyebrow at him.

Isaac rolled his eyes with a smile. "Glad to see you two get along."

"I wouldn't go that far. We merely have the same interest. Come on. We still have a ways to go before I can get us out of here." Loki began to walk away, though Isaac noticed that he kept glancing back as though to make sure he was still following.

"What interest do the two of you share?" Isaac laughed at the idea of Jinx and Loki sharing an interest... on second thought that was actually kind of terrifying if those two teamed up for anything. "Do I really want to know?"

"You." Loki held up a hand to halt him and effectively stalling the immediate demand for an explanation. He waited a moment before turning another corner. "Come here. This is where it is going to get difficult."

Even as Isaac watched Loki's form began to change, within seconds he was looking at...

He stopped and stared. "W-wait a second. Why are you my mother? Are you kidding me right now?!"

"Keep your voice down." It was still Loki's voice, thank god. "You look just like your father so I took the liberty of becoming the other half. Hold still a moment."

The tingling feeling of magic crept over him and he watched his clothes change from the pale blue scrub-like attire to a SHIELD uniform.

"Why?" Isaac was still staring at him hardly able to wrap his head around it.

"Because. We are about to be on camera and I feel like this should get the message across quite nicely to those who are watching." Loki fussed with his clothing a moment longer in a disturbingly feminine manner before turning on his-her..? His. Heel and continuing down the hall.

Isaac followed, walking like he had every right to be there and the few agents they passed didn't look twice at them. "Where is everyone?" he asked once they were clear and going up the stairs.

"They should be investigating the areas where the cameras mysteriously turned off."

Judging by the smirk Isaac figured that it wasn't a mystery at all. "Jinx?"

"She's keeping them occupied."

They met with a surprising lack of resistance and even Loki seemed cautious as they made their way outside.

"It's almost like... they're letting us go." Isaac looked back at the entrance to the hidden base. It had fallen silent.

"Well, I am not about to argue." Loki held out his hand, the illusion slowly disappearing until he stood in his natural form. "Shall we?"

Isaac cracked a grin, grasping the man's cool fingers. "Do you even need to ask?"

* * *

 _ ***grins* so. I've received a whole lot of silence over the last few chapters of high action and what I assume were a few nice little twists.**_

 _ **Seriously. I dont know if you guys are just that disappointed in my inability to write action, if you were that disgusted with the typos 'cause phones suck... anything?**_

 ** _*Shrugs* well whatevs hope you enjoyed this chapter and yes, you may look forward to more of an... emotional centered one next._**

 ** _Look forward to more!_**


	17. Chapter 17

**_I know ive left you in suspense long enough. And oh dear gods you have no idea how much i love your comments! Seriously I do a little happy dance every time I recieve one._** ** _Anyways! There will be ONE MORE CHAPTER after this one._** ** _You know the drill! Read, Review, Enjoy!_**

* * *

It wasn't like the last time that Loki teleported them. This was far less violent and felt more controlled. Isaac sighed and let himself lean comfortably against the Asgardian who, to his surprise, wrapped an arm around him. It wasn't a gentle gesture, it was tighter, and somehow more desperate.

He blinked at the sunshine and sudden noise of the city. Loki almost immediately began to move again without releasing his hold on his hand. Isaac frowned.

"Where are we going?"

"I have made a few arrangements. We are going somewhere safe."

"Why were you suddenly able to teleport like that?"

"Because I've been here before. Until then, I had never been to Central Park."

Isaac mentally shrugged and followed as Loki dragged him along. He was still in civilian clothes, jeans and a t-shirt that Isaac was certainly appreciating. Especially in his current position following the man.

"Isaac, are you oogling me?" Loki's tone was teasing.

"Yes I am. I've spent almost every day of the past month with you and was suddenly deprived. Why wouldn't I oogle?" Isaac laughed and he saw Loki look back at him with what looked like a relieved expression.

"What?" Isaac asked with a grin.

"Nothing. I suppose it is a drawback of leading." Loki faced forward again, not seeing the frown skitter across Isaac's face.

"Does being oogled insult you?" even he had to admit that his tone wasn't exactly friendly.

To his surprise Loki laughed. "Not at all. I find it flattering. However if I'm the one walking in front of you I am unable to look at you."

"Oh." Isaac felt the heat rise to his face.

He was quiet, busy just watching the man in front of him contemplating how someone so hated could show such concern for another being. And also that ass. In those jeans. And how the muscles in his back moved as he walked.

Yeah he really hoped they got to where they were going soon.

He almost ran into Loki's back as the man stopped abruptly before turning into a… hotel?

It had to be a five star hotel. Why the hell were they going into such an expensive place? He didn't have the money and Loki couldn't just magic their way in. Someone was bound to notice that.

Yet Loki walked right up to the reception desk.

The girl behind the counter looked them up and down, her eyes lingering on their still attached hands for a moment before a professional smile was painted on.

"Hi, thanks for choosing us today. How may I help you?"

"There should be a reservation under Mason Black."

"Number?"

"Room 564. The number should be…" Loki seemed to think for a moment before rattling off a number that Isaac recognized as another one of Jinx's.

The girl scrolled through her computer for a moment before looking back at them. "Welcome to the hotel Mr. Black. Here are your room keys. The elevators are over that way there is a complimentary breakfast as well as a dinner that has been prepaid and will be delivered to your suite at 7:30 is that alright?"

"Yes, thank you."

"Enjoy your stay."

Loki pulled him to the elevators and Isaac waited until the doors had closed and they were moving before asking "Jinx got us a room?"

"Nice of her wasn't it?"

"Yeah…" Isaac frowned. It was odd. Jinx was frugal and if she was spending this much already, why wasn't she here too? Something was strange here…

Loki led him to the room and graciously held the door for him. Isaac was too distracted by the room to be embarrassed by the 'princess treatment'. It was beautiful.

He barely had time to circle the room and take stock of their surroundings before Loki stopped him.

There was something about the touch that made him still and face the man. A certain… hesitation.

Isaac held still as Loki's hands cradled his face, cool fingers brushing over his eyes, his cheeks, his jaw. When the hands reached his jaw they stilled and Isaac froze as Loki leaned in and pressed a feather light kiss to his temple, then another to his brow, and another… the tingling sensation of magic followed every touch and belatedly Isaac realized that he was being healed.

He'd nearly forgotten his injuries.

"Who caused these?" the words were spoken against his skin and Isaac felt a shudder traverse his spine.

"When I hit the water…"

Slowly the Asgardian worked his way down to his shoulders, trailing down one arm then the other. Each touch a surprisingly tender caress. There was something akin to regret in the man's gaze, and something fragile that Isaac didn't dare put a name to.

He still couldn't shake the feeling that something was wrong. Loki was being too… tame.

"Isaac." Loki's voice was low, his lips still hovering over the knuckles that he'd just repaired. Those brilliant green eyes shone with fire as the man looked up at him. "Strip."

Isaac swore his heart stopped for the entire two seconds it took for him to comply.

* * *

-a few hours later-

Loki trailed his fingers over the mortal's shoulder, feeling him stir slightly before settling again. The man's dreams revolved around him, brief and fragmented though they were.

Isaac was an intelligent man. He'd always known that but he hadn't expected him to catch on to his animosity so quickly.

He finally hit the call button on the cell in his hand and held it to his ear.

"This is Fury." The short and irritable tone came through and made him sneer.

"I have a proposition for you."

"I was wondering when you'd call. I'm impressed. What do you want with the kid."

"Shouldn't I be asking that of you? Regardless. I will not harm Isaac. You have my word. Whatever that is worth to you."

"It may not be worth much of anything to me but Thor seems to put a great deal of faith in it so I will give you the benefit of the doubt before I hunt you down."

"You want Isaac in SHIELD. I want him to not be kept in a cage. Are we on the same page?"

"Im listening."

Loki slid his fingers through the dark blond locks of the mortals hair. It was thick and silky, a pleasure to touch. "I… I can erase… his memories. Make him forget his hatred of you. Leave behind only what will be useful… He won't remember his opposition of SHIELD and… he will not remember me."

There was silence. "Why."

"Haven't I already given my answer? This benefits both of us. You get Isaac and I will know that he isn't going to be in a cage for the rest of his life."

"No, why would you care?"

"Does that really matter? Give me the rest of today and I will send him to you tomorrow. If you would be so kind as to wait somewhere."

They managed to come to an agreement and he hung up the cell, staring blankly at it for several minutes. Fury would at least pretend to keep his word and since Loki was being truthful in his plans to wipe Isaac's memories he had no reason to fear for himself.

Loki still felt the residual effects of the mind link that he'd used to bind his and Isaacs senses together for a brief time. The mortal was now thoroughly sated and exhausted and Loki didn't fare much better though what conscious he had was keeping him from joining the human in slumber.

A knock drew him from his brooding and he slipped on a robe before answering the door.

The girl had ordered them dinner, he'd almost forgotten.

Isaac woke when Loki ran his hand through the man's hair and gave him a mental nudge.

The mortal blinked at him, his hazel eyes bleary with residual sleep. "Well, that's a lovely way of waking up. Really, you should do this more often."

Pain lanced through his chest at those words. But he smiled "Dinner is here if you'd like to eat."

Suddenly Isaac was wide awake. "What'd we get?" he slithered to the edge of the bed and somehow ended up on the floor.

They blinked at each other for a moment before Loki started laughing as Isaacs face turned pink.

"Would you like some help?" Loki chuckled, offering a hand.

"I blame you for this." Isaac grumbled even as he allowed himself to be pulled to his feet. "Why am I the only one who can't stand?"

"Because, face it dear, I have a much better constitution."

Isaac chuckled and easily disengaged to walk himself over to the table on only slightly unsteadily.

The meal was light and conversation was easy though each word weighed heavily on his heart.

"Hey."

Loki looked up at Isaac as the man suddenly took a more serious tone.

"Are you going to tell me whats wrong?"

Loki stared at him for a while. "I don't…"

Isaac sighed and got up, pulling him from his seat and dragging him over to the bed. "What's wrong?"

Loki looked to the clock and found it to be a almost nine.

Not yet. Just a little longer. Not yet. Please, not yet…

"Loki." Isaacs tone was stern.

"Nothing is wrong." Loki smirked at him. "Can you blame me for being distracted?"

Isaacs eyes narrowed. "Do you have a phone?"

"No."

Isaac got up and walked over to the phone and dialed a number. "Jinx. What the hell is going on… yes he's here… what's up with the room?...Where are you?... Okay but… I'm just saying something doesn't feel right…."

The man went bright red glanced over at him before turning back to the phone.

"I… no I haven't… well…." He sighed. "Yes… No I am not giving you details… does it really matter?..." another sigh and Loki could only imagine the line of questions that the girl was subjecting him to. "Dammit Jinx, I'm not giving you details of my sex life!" he made a frustrated sound before hanging up on what sounded like a cackle.

"And they all say that I'm the evil one." Loki chuckled, though he knew that the girl had probably dissolved into tears the moment she hung up.

Isaac turned to him with a charming blush on his face.

Loki held out his hand again. "Are you interested in continuing from earlier?"

Isaac raised an eyebrow at him. "Oh? And why are you suddenly so interested? Last I checked you were resisting my drunken charm. Now you want more?"

"Ah. But this time you aren't drunk and I feel a need to lay claim to what is mine. I do not enjoy when others harm my things." Even if the words were demeaning he knew his expression was showing an entirely different reasoning for his actions.

Isaac slowly came back to him and Loki took a moment to slip back into Isaacs senses. Just enjoying his life, his energy, and… Loki found himself flattered to find Isaac brimming with emotion towards him.

It was almost time. The type of magic he needed to cast required time to set in.

"Loki, for someone who lies for a living… you are very bad at hiding things when some part of you wants it to be known." Isaac smiled and didn't draw away from him even with his accusation.

"Isaac…" Loki sighed "I… you realize that SHIELD will hunt you for the rest of your life. If you are associated with me, they will keep you in a cage."

"And?" Isaac smirked "They caught me only when I basically let myself be caught."

"And you really think they will just let you go?" Loki ran a hand along the mortals shoulder again and a flicker of genuine worry passed over Isaacs face. Not concern for the touch but concern because that touch was clearly a gesture to comfort himself.

"So…? I'll be fine."

Loki shook his head. "No. You won't. Isaac you wish to settle, to live without fear."

"Yeah, but that's never going to happen."

"I can make that happen."

"How?"

Loki looked up at the human and said nothing for a long moment. "By making a deal or two. Using some magic." He shrugged not ready to tell Isaac the truth.

Ever meddlesome Isaac narrowed his eyes. "Deals with whom, and what sort of magic." It was demand rather than a question.

"…Fury." Loki tightened his grip on Isaac as the man suddenly tried to pull away. "And the type of magic that will help you forget all of this…"

Isaac was frozen and Loki let the image be burned into his mind. Shock, fear, betrayal, and tears brimming in eyes that had become wide and hurt.

Isaac looked like a lost child and the man slowly shook his head. "No. I don't care if im hunted for the rest of my life, don't you dare take my memories from me."

Loki felt an acute ache settle in his chest as, even in his current state, Isaac didn't pull away from his touch. He gently pulled the mortal's head down so they were face to face. "You may not believe me, but I am sorry."

"Don't."

Loki pressed a kiss to Isaacs forehead, laying the first layer of his magic over the man's mind. Nothing noticeable. "I promise to remember every second." He murmured, activating the second layer.

 _Isaac grinned drunkenly at him, face flushed, and lips glossy from being kissed. "Careful. I think I may be in love with you at this rate."_ _With their minds linked together Loki felt the truth in those words and the painfully jubilant sensation in his core._

"Why are you doing this…?" Isaacs words were a soft whimper as his head dropped to rest on Loki's shoulder, already beginning to feel the sleep spells effect.

 _Loki grinned and kissed him again, devouring the mortal. And was pleased when the man refused to be meekly submissive. A laugh rang out as he pulled away, the sound a wonderful heartfelt thing as Isaac chortled. "I definitely like this form of yours better. Much more natural I think."_ _He hadn't realized that he'd dropped his illusion. He couldn't even think clearly enough to care, too enamored with the man in front of him_.

Loki buried a hand in the mortals hair, holding him close and laying another web of magic. The closeness made it easier, taking less time and energy to cast. He hugged the man tighter. "Because I have come to love you."

The words were whispered upon deaf ears as Isaac fell limp, his fingers still curled tightly in Loki's robe.


	18. Chapter 18

**_Welp, all good things must come to an end. Here it is guys! Its been a fun time. PLEASE let me know what you think of the story as a whole I really do love hearing from you._**

 _ **Also. FEEL FREE TO PM ME with any requests for scenes that you want to see from this story. As in any interactions or conversations from or between any of the characters from Incentive of Curiosity. If I get enough requests then I will do my best to write them and publish a 'Stories from IoC' where each chapter will be a scene requested... and yes this does include the more.. er. explicit interactions as well. Not that I'm any good at writing**_ **that** _ **but for you, I will try if you so wish.**_

 _ **Now, on with the show!**_

 _ **Read, Review, Enjoy!**_

* * *

Isaac blinked at the ceiling for several moments, trying to rouse his still drowsy mind.

He felt heavy, as though his mind was disconnected from his body. Something just didnt feel right.

He slowly sat up and looked around at the room he was in.

 _A hotel room? How did...?_

He frowned and shook his head. How did he get here? Why was he here?

He realized with a shock that he couldnt remember.

Isaac could feel his heart rate spike. What had he done yesterday?

He couldnt remember.

What was his name?

Issac Walker.

What was his age?

Twenty-six.

Who were his parents?

He couldnt remember.

What was his address?

He coudnt remember.

What day was it?

November 20th.

Isaac sat in muted panic for several minutes trying to sort out what he did and did not remember.

It was odd, while some things were perfectly clear in his mind others were simply missing.

He slowly got up, walking over to the pile of neatly folded clothes that sat on the desk.

They were definitely his. The jeans and leather jacket were familiar, the t-shirt and boots were his as well. He couldnt remember when the last time he'd worn them was or even where he'd bought them, but he knew they were his.

He pulled on the clothes, pausing as he lifted the jacket that had been the last item in the pile and revealed a hand written note.

 _Isaac,_

 _I hope you dont have too much of a headache. You were involved in an accident and your memory has become damaged because of this. Please do not panic. There is someone who is more than capable of helping you. His name is Nick Fury. Though he prefers to be called 'Big Daddy' and is flamboyantly gay despite appearances so make sure you tell him immediately upon meeting him if you arent interested. This is very important that you address him as 'Big Daddy'._

Isaac had to stop reading for a moment in his attempt to not laugh. What the hell was this?

 _Regardless, he will meet you in cafe across the street from the hotel at 11am. Go talk to him and he will help you. The room you are in has already been payed for and there is breakfast downstairs if you wake in time for it._

 _I wish you the best of luck in all of your endeavors and hope that one day I may have the pleasure of meeting you again._

Isaac flipped the paper over but there was no signature anywhere to be found on the page.

Then he saw the time.

10:42

 _Oh shit._ He yanked on his boots, shoving the paper in his pocket as he grabbed the room key and ran out the door.

He barely spoke to the receptionist other than to toss the key at her and wave on his way out of the hotel.

It took him several minutes to get across the street and find the cafe that the letter mentioned and thankfully there were only three people in the small seating area.

A woman with long black hair sat off to the side, headphones tucked in her ears and her gaze sliding from him back to the window. She was beautiful and he found himself immediately intrigued but his focus was forcibly shifted to the only other table with people at it. A man with an eye patch was the only male in the building and the small girl sitting next to him watched him expectantly.

He took out the letter and read it again, mentally shrugging as he approached the table.

"Uh... are you... 'Big Daddy?'" he asked slowly, feeling utterly ridiculous.

The girl immediately burst into laughter, her head hitting the table as she convulsed with the sheer force of the hilarity. The knit cap she'd been wearing fell from her head, revealing a bald scalp with the beginnings of peach fuzz growing back in. The man on the other hand seemed to twitch in pure annoyance.

"Dont call me that."

"Oh. See I was told to address you as Big Daddy and to immediately inform you that I am not interested. Not that I mind gays just-"

Another round of laughter from the girl and the man's eye started to twitch.

Isaac grinned. "I'm only following directions."

"Sit down and forget the instructions." the command was clear through the impatient tone and Isaac chuckled as he sat. Clearly whoever wrote the letter had a grudge against Fury and had a sense of humor.

Fury eyed him for a moment. "What is the last thing you remember?"

"Uhh... yeah, about that. I dont know. See, I'm remembering a lot of little things but I dont know what I was doing before today. I know the date. I know my name. I know that theres a pizza shop two blocks down that is amazing but I have no idea what is going on."

The questions continued for a while, almost as though Fury didnt believe him.

Then finally the man leaned back in his chair. "Alright. This may be a bit of a set back, but I do have a job to offer you if you'll take it. I was close with your parents, and I've known you since you were young. We can work this out if you'd like."

"Id... like that a lot actually." he couldnt believe his luck. "If you dont mind my asking, do you know who left me this letter?" he showed the man the paper and after a brief examination filled with several more eye twitches, Fury shrugged and shook his head.

"The best guess I have is that it was the one who caused whatever accident you were in. I dont know anything about it."

"Oh..." Isaac sighed and folded the paper back into his pocket. "So who are you?" he asked, finally turning towards the girl.

"My name is Gabrielle." she grinned at him, "I'll be joining with you, so we might end up as a team!" her smile was tight but genuine and she seemed friendly.

"Well, nice to meet you then. I'm Isaac."

The girl suddenly looked like she was about to cry. "Ah crap, I'm sorry my eyes have been bothering me. I'll be back." she darted off the bathrooms before he could ask if she was okay.

"Dont worry about her." Fury said, picking up a cell phone. "Our ride will be here in about ten minutes. Have you eaten?"

"No..."

"Order something, I'll pay."

"I wouldnt want to-"

"Just get something."

Isaac shrugged and got up to go to the counter, eyeing the menu for a moment.

The woman that had been sitting away from them got up to leave and started to make her way to the door, brushing past him as she went.

He easily shifted out of her way, not wanting to accidentally force her to walk into a table.

The scent of mint met his senses and something so, so familiar that he couldnt quite place. He grabbed her arm before he could even think twice about it.

He stared at her and she stared back, green eyes blown wide in shock. They were too dull. He couldnt help thinking that they should be a more vibrant green.

"Um..." she glanced from him to her wrist which was still held captive in his grasp.

"I-I am so sorry, but do I know you?"

"If that is some kind of pick-up line-"

"No! No, it's not!" though he mentally reeled with the thought that he really wanted to laugh and say that it was. "It's just, see, I kind of got into a mess and cant remember much of anything and you seem so familiar..."

She stared at him for another minute and he could see Fury observing them with his cell still pressed to his ear.

Then the silence was broken as she smiled and leaned in to kiss his cheek. "Sorry, dear. I dont know you." she pulled away from his slackened grip and gave him a small wave as she pushed the door open. "Bye, Isaac."

Then she was gone.

He slowly touched the spot where her lips met his cheek, his skin still tingling.

In the end, he sat without ordering anything his mind still chasing after the nameless woman.

* * *

Loki quickly walked away from the cafe, turning into the next alley. He should have known better.

But he couldnt help it.

He'd only wanted to make sure that Fury wouldnt go back on his word, he also wanted to see the outcome of his final prank on the bastard. He'd never thought that Isaac would see through his illusion. So far the only person who had ever been able to do so was-

"Loki." the deep baritone stopped him short.

He looked back at Thor as the man landed behind him.

"What do you want?" he growled, resuming his original form.

"You let him go." it was more a statement than a question.

"I told you that I didnt kidnap him or anything. He came to me of his own accord. Of course I let him go. I have no use for the mortal." a deep ache settled in his chest, his stomach churning uncomfortably.

Again his brother only ever showed his intuition when it came to him. That's how it had always been. Dense as a rock until Loki tried to get the better of him. Granted, many times he was just a little too slow and Loki managed to trick him anyways but over the hundreds of years that theyd been together the other was learning.

"You have feelings for him?" this time there was some shock in his voice.

Loki sneered. "Of course not. A passing fascination perhaps. But you should know just as well as I that I am incapable of such an emotion."

"That is not true, brother. And if it was a fascination then the mortal would not have survived this ordeal. You would have left him to his fate when Fury took him."

"Do not pretend to know what I would and would not do. What do you want?"

"Fury told me to catch you but I refuse to fight a foe who has already fallen to a heart wound."

There was a long pause and Loki could feel Isaac's anxiousness, excitement, confusion, and a deep yearning through the link that was still on the mortal.

"So what now?" Loki asked slowly, he lacked the energy needed to fight with Thor. All he wanted was to find a safe place to lay low for a while.

"You did the right thing, brother. Yet I feel that I should give you my condolences for having to release the love you so recently found."

"Stop pretending to be wise. If you arent here to catch me then leave me be."

"Loki, come with me. If we work this out, if they see you are not a threat then there would be no reason for Fury to keep the mortal from you."

So that was the angle they were using. They wanted to use Isaac against him.

"I will not be kept in a cage. Nice try though. You almost had me." he began to walk away from the other. "Besides what is it that the mortals say? Lose the battle, win the war? Whoever said I was giving up on the mortal permanently?"

He shot a tight grin over his shoulder and to his surprise saw Thor with a small smile on his face, shaking his head.

"Good luck, brother."

Loki gave a careless wave of his hand, disappearing into a portal.

Isaac was safe where he was. He may not ever fully relinquish his link to the mortal but until there came a time that he himself was no longer hunted... he'd let him go.


End file.
